Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: profiling and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy reveal their semiconducting behavior and low work function (<3 eV). These protein discs generate photocurrents under UV illumination without external bias and achieve external quantum efficiencies (∼0.5%) and response times (0.3 s) surpassing those of traditional photosynthetic proteins by an order of magnitude. Mutational analysis implicates a tyrosine-mediated electron transfer mechanism. These findings establish bacterial shell proteins as intrinsically stable, scaffold-free photoactive materials for next-generation bioelectronic applications.
Source: Chemical Science
DOI: 10.1039/d5sc05716g
Authors: Silky Bedi, S. M. Rose, Sharmistha Sinha
Institution: Institute of Nano Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4416599182