Photochemical Energy Conversion as an Example of Photosynthetic Biomimetics

Photochemical Conversion of Solar Energy

The detailed balance limit of photochemical energy conversion.

Limits and optimization of a solar energy conversion system consisting of a photochemical charge separating unit coupled to an energy storage state are explored by multi-objective genetic algorithms. Pareto fronts were evaluated to obtain information about the ideal parameter combinations, guaranteeing highest efficiency. The light absorbing and charge separating unit is described by a chain of...

Long-Wavelength Limit of Photochemical Energy Conversion in Photosystem I

In Photosystem I (PS I) long-wavelength chlorophylls (LWC) of the core antenna are known to extend the spectral region up to 750 nm for absorbance of light that drives photochemistry. Here we present clear evidence that even far-red light with wavelengths beyond 800 nm, clearly outside the LWC absorption bands, can still induce photochemical charge separation in PS I throughout the full tempera...

Overall energy conversion efficiency of a photosynthetic vesicle

The chromatophore of purple bacteria is an intracellular spherical vesicle that exists in numerous copies in the cell and that efficiently converts sunlight into ATP synthesis, operating typically under low light conditions. Building on an atomic-level structural model of a low-light-adapted chromatophore vesicle from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, we investigate the cooperation between more than a h...

Inverted-region electron transfer as a mechanism for enhancing photosynthetic solar energy conversion efficiency.

In all photosynthetic organisms, light energy is used to drive electrons from a donor chlorophyll species via a series of acceptors across a biological membrane. These light-induced electron-transfer processes display a remarkably high quantum efficiency, indicating a near-complete inhibition of unproductive charge recombination reactions. It has been suggested that unproductive charge recombin...