Abstract
The sun is the primary energy source of our planet and potentially can supply all societies with more than just their basic energy needs. Demand of electric energy can be satisfied with photovoltaics, however the global demand for fuels is even higher. The direct way to produce the solar fuel hydrogen is by water splitting in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells, an artificial mimic of photosynthesis. There is currently strong resurging interest for solar fuels produced by PEC cells, but some fundamental technological problems need to be solved to make PEC water splitting an economic, competitive alternative. One of the problems is to provide a low cost, high performing water oxidizing and oxygen evolving photoanode in an environmentally benign setting. Hematite, α-Fe2O3, satisfies many requirements for a good PEC photoanode, but its efficiency is insufficient in its pristine form. A promising strategy for enhancing photocurrent density takes advantage of photosynthetic proteins. In this paper we give an overview of how electrode surfaces in general and hematite photoanodes in particular can be functionalized with light harvesting proteins. Specifically, we demonstrate how low-cost biomaterials such as cyanobacterial phycocyanin and enzymatically produced melanin increase the overall performance of virtually no-cost metal oxide photoanodes in a PEC system. The implementation of biomaterials changes the overall nature of the photoanode assembly in a way that aggressive alkaline electrolytes such as concentrated KOH are not required anymore. Rather, a more environmentally benign and pH neutral electrolyte can be used.
Keywords: Artificial photosynthesis, hematite, light harvesting, photoelectrochemical cell, photosensitizer, phycocyanin, protein immobilization, solar hydrogen.
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advancements in Proteomic and Peptidomic Approaches in Cancer Immunotherapy: Unveiling the Immune Microenvironment
The scope of this thematic issue centers on the integration of proteomic and peptidomic technologies into the field of cancer immunotherapy, with a particular emphasis on exploring the tumor immune microenvironment. This issue aims to gather contributions that illustrate the application of these advanced methodologies in unveiling the complex interplay ...read more
Artificial Intelligence for Protein Research
Protein research, essential for understanding biological processes and creating therapeutics, faces challenges due to the intricate nature of protein structures and functions. Traditional methods are limited in exploring the vast protein sequence space efficiently. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) offer promising solutions by improving predictions and speeding up ...read more
Nutrition and Metabolism in Musculoskeletal Diseases
The musculoskeletal system consists mainly of cartilage, bone, muscles, tendons, connective tissue and ligaments. Balanced metabolism is of vital importance for the homeostasis of the musculoskeletal system. A series of musculoskeletal diseases (for example, sarcopenia, osteoporosis) are resulted from the dysregulated metabolism of the musculoskeletal system. Furthermore, metabolic diseases (such ...read more
Protein Folding, Aggregation and Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation
Protein folding, misfolding and aggregation remain one of the main problems of interdisciplinary science not only because many questions are still open, but also because they are important from the point of view of practical application. Protein aggregation and formation of fibrillar structures, for example, is a hallmark of a ...read more
Related Books
Industrial Applications of Soil Microbes
Genome Editing in Bacteria (Part 2)
Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oils
In Vitro Propagation and Secondary Metabolite Production from Medicinal Plants: Current Trends (Part 2)
Micropropagation of Medicinal Plants
Software and Programming Tools in Pharmaceutical Research
Biotechnology and Drug Development for Targeting Human Diseases
In Vitro Propagation and Secondary Metabolite Production from Medicinal Plants: Current Trends (Part 1)
Molecular and Physiological Insights into Plant Stress Tolerance and Applications in Agriculture- Part 2
Micropropagation of Medicinal Plants
86
