Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Energy‐related protein optoelectronics is an emerging field with interesting examples in photon manipulation in lighting devices, photon‐induced electron transfer in photovoltaics, and H‐transfer in moisture electrical generators. Here, this field is extended with the concept of photon‐to‐heat energy harvesting fluorescent protein (FP) coatings applied to thermoelectric generators (TEG). This device consists of a commercial TEG coated with a FP‐polymer coating optimized in terms of i ) the amount of a high‐absorbing and low‐emissive FP named E2‐Crimson and ii ) the thermal features of a mixture of the branched/linear polyethylene oxide matrix. With photothermal efficiencies of 48% the FP‐coatings can reach temperatures between 40–60 °C under monochromatic (590 nm) and the white LED illumination sources. This results in a total power gain of up to 232 µW cm −2 (white LED), highlighting the potential of FP‐coatings in sustainable energy harvesting for low‐power autonomous devices. Overall, this work provides the first stepping stone in protein‐based photon‐to‐heat conversion materials, which promise easy‐to‐tune photothermal properties through the choice of the protein chromophore, the engineering of the protein scaffold, and the control of the protein‐polymer interactions.
Source: Advanced Science
Institution: Technical University of Munich
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,730
OpenAlex ID: W4417109587