Photocatalytic Removal of the Greenhouse Gas Nitrous Oxide by Liposomal Microreactors.

Nitrous oxide (N O) is a potent greenhouse and ozone-reactive gas for which emissions are growing rapidly due to increasingly intensive agriculture. Synthetic catalysts for N O decomposition typically contain precious metals and/or operate at elevated temperatures driving a desire for more sustainable alternatives. Here we demonstrate self-assembly of liposomal microreactors enabling catalytic reduction of N O to the climate neutral product N . Photoexcitation of graphitic N-doped carbon dots delivers electrons to encapsulated N O Reductase enzymes via a lipid-soluble biomolecular wire provided by the MtrCAB protein complex. Within the microreactor, electron transfer from MtrCAB to N O Reductase is facilitated by the general redox mediator methyl viologen. The liposomal microreactors use only earth-abundant elements to catalyze N O removal in ambient, aqueous conditions.