Sławski Jakub, Maciejewski Jan, Szukiewicz Rafał, Gieczewska Katarzyna, Grzyb Joanna
Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14a, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland.
Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wrocław, Maxa Borna 9, 50-204 Wrocław, Poland.
ACS Omega. 2023 Oct 26;8(44):41991-42003. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.3c07673. eCollection 2023 Nov 7.
The construction of artificial systems for solar energy harvesting is still a challenge. There needs to be a light-harvesting antenna with a broad absorption spectrum and then the possibility to transfer harvested energy to the reaction center, converting photons into a storable form of energy. Bioinspired and bioderivative elements may help in achieving this aim. Here, we present an option for light harvesting: a nanobiohybrid of colloidal, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and natural photosynthetic antennae assembled on the surface of a carbon nanotube. For that, we used QDs of cadmium telluride and cyanobacterial phycobilisome rods (PBSr) or light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) of higher plants. For this nanobiohybrid, we confirmed composition and organization using infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and high-resolution confocal microscopy. Then, we proved that within such an assembly, there is a resonance energy transfer from QD to PBSr or LHCII. When such a nanobiohybrid was further combined with thylakoids, the energy was transferred to photosynthetic reaction centers and efficiently powered the photosystem I reaction center. The presented construct is proof of a general concept, combining interacting elements on a platform of a nanotube, allowing further variation within assembled elements.
构建用于太阳能收集的人工系统仍然是一项挑战。需要有一个具有宽吸收光谱的光收集天线，然后将收集到的能量转移到反应中心的可能性，将光子转化为可储存的能量形式。受生物启发和生物衍生的元素可能有助于实现这一目标。在这里，我们提出了一种光收集的选择：一种由胶体半导体量子点（QDs）和组装在碳纳米管表面的天然光合天线组成的纳米生物杂交体。为此，我们使用了碲化镉量子点和蓝藻藻胆体棒（PBSr）或高等植物的光收集复合体II（LHCII）。对于这种纳米生物杂交体，我们使用红外光谱、X射线光电子能谱和高分辨率共聚焦显微镜确认了其组成和结构。然后，我们证明了在这样的组装体中，存在从量子点到PBSr或LHCII的共振能量转移。当这种纳米生物杂交体进一步与类囊体结合时，能量被转移到光合反应中心并有效地为光系统I反应中心提供动力。所展示的结构证明了一个通用概念，即在纳米管平台上结合相互作用的元素，允许在组装元素内进一步变化。
