Conjugated Polymer/Recombinant Escherichia coli Biohybrid Systems for Photobiocatalytic Hydrogen Production
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Biohybrid photocatalysts are composite materials that combine the efficient light-absorbing properties of synthetic materials with the highly evolved metabolic pathways and self-repair mechanisms of biological systems. Here, we show the potential of conjugated polymers as photosensitizers in biohybrid systems by combining a series of polymer nanoparticles with engineered Escherichia coli cells. Under simulated solar light irradiation, the biohybrid system consisting of fluorene/dibenzo [ b,d ]thiophene sulfone copolymer (LP41) and recombinant E. coli (i.e., a LP41/HydA BL21 biohybrid) shows a sacrificial hydrogen evolution rate of 3.442 mmol g –1 h –1 (normalized to polymer amount). It is over 30 times higher than the polymer photocatalyst alone (0.105 mmol g –1 h –1 ), while no detectable hydrogen was generated from the E. coli cells alone, demonstrating the strong synergy between the polymer nanoparticles and bacterial cells. The differences in the physical interactions between synthetic materials and microorganisms, as well as redox energy level alignment, elucidate the trends in photochemical activity. Our results suggest that organic semiconductors may offer advantages, such as solution processability, low toxicity, and more tunable surface interactions with the biological components over inorganic materials.
Source: ACS Nano
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Funders: University of Strathclyde, UK Research and Innovation, Royal Society, National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Scholarship Council, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, National Key Research and Development Program of China
Awards: G1165301643, G1497323272, G2673653651, G2708512259, G2724802942, G2883714772, EPSRC Capital Award emphasising support for Early Career Researchers, G3918954243, G4429538422, G4523337081, G5300933926, G5484271834, G679351401, Integration of Computation and Experiment for Accelerated Materials Discovery, G7792020028, G797189102, Organisation, dynamics and biogenesis of a photosynthetic membrane, Deciphering the molecular principles of bacterial metabolosome biogenesis, G870840761, G945215054
OpenAlex ID: W4396852536