Enhanced interfacial electron transfer between thylakoids and RuO2 nanosheets for photosynthetic energy harvesting

Hyeonaug Hong; Jang Mee Lee; JaeHyoung Yun; Yong Jae Kim; Seon Il Kim; HyeIn Shin; Hyun S Ahn; Seong-Ju Hwang; WonHyoung Ryu

doi:10.1126/sciadv.abf2543

Enhanced interfacial electron transfer between thylakoids and RuO₂ nanosheets for photosynthetic energy harvesting

Sci Adv. 2021 May 12;7(20):eabf2543. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abf2543. Print 2021 May.

Authors

Hyeonaug Hong¹, Jang Mee Lee², JaeHyoung Yun¹, Yong Jae Kim¹, Seon Il Kim¹, HyeIn Shin¹, Hyun S Ahn³, Seong-Ju Hwang⁴, WonHyoung Ryu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
² Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
³ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea. whryu@yonsei.ac.kr hwangsju@yonsei.ac.kr.
⁵ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea. whryu@yonsei.ac.kr hwangsju@yonsei.ac.kr.

Abstract

The harvesting of photosynthetic electrons (PEs) directly from photosynthetic complexes has been demonstrated over the past decade. However, their limited efficiency and stability have hampered further practical development. For example, despite its importance, the interfacial electron transfer between the photosynthetic apparatus and the electrode has received little attention. In this study, we modified electrodes with RuO₂ nanosheets to enhance the extraction of PEs from thylakoids, and the PE transfer was promoted by proton adsorption and surface polarity characteristics. The adsorbed protons maintained the potential of an electrode more positive, and the surface polarity enhanced thylakoid attachment to the electrode in addition to promoting ensemble docking between the redox species and the electrode. The RuO₂ bioanode exhibited a five times larger current density and a four times larger power density than the Au bioanode. Last, the electric calculators were successfully powered by photosynthetic energy using a RuO₂ bioanode.

Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).