A DNA-directed light-harvesting/reaction center system

J Am Chem Soc. 2014 Nov 26;136(47):16618-25. doi: 10.1021/ja509018g. Epub 2014 Nov 12.

Abstract

A structurally and compositionally well-defined and spectrally tunable artificial light-harvesting system has been constructed in which multiple organic dyes attached to a three-arm-DNA nanostructure serve as an antenna conjugated to a photosynthetic reaction center isolated from Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1. The light energy absorbed by the dye molecules is transferred to the reaction center, where charge separation takes place. The average number of DNA three-arm junctions per reaction center was tuned from 0.75 to 2.35. This DNA-templated multichromophore system serves as a modular light-harvesting antenna that is capable of being optimized for its spectral properties, energy transfer efficiency, and photostability, allowing one to adjust both the size and spectrum of the resulting structures. This may serve as a useful test bed for developing nanostructured photonic systems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Coloring Agents / chemistry
  • Coloring Agents / metabolism
  • DNA / chemistry
  • DNA / metabolism*
  • Energy Transfer
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nanostructures / chemistry
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / chemistry
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / metabolism*
  • Rhodobacter sphaeroides / chemistry
  • Rhodobacter sphaeroides / metabolism*

Substances

  • Coloring Agents
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins
  • DNA