Solar‐Powered Organic Semiconductor–Bacteria Biohybrids for CO2 Reduction into Acetic Acid. Issue 18 (9th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gai, Panpan; Yu, Wen; Zhao, Hao; Qi, Ruilian; Li, Feng; Liu, Libing; Lv, Fengting; Wang, Shu
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 59:Issue 18(2020)
• Page Start: 7224
• Page End: 7229
• Publication Date: 2020-03-09
• Subjects: bacteria -- CO2 reduction -- organic semiconductors -- photosynthesis -- solar-to-chemical conversion; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.202001047
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

Abstract: An organic semiconductor–bacteria biohybrid photosynthetic system is used to efficiently realize CO2 reduction to produce acetic acid with the non‐photosynthetic bacteria Moorella thermoacetica. Perylene diimide derivative (PDI) and poly(fluorene‐co‐phenylene) (PFP) were coated on the bacteria surface as photosensitizers to form a p‐n heterojunction (PFP/PDI) layer, affording higher hole/electron separation efficiency. The π‐conjugated semiconductors possess excellent light‐harvesting ability and biocompatibility, and the cationic side chains of organic semiconductors could intercalate into cell membranes, ensuring efficient electron transfer to bacteria. Moorella thermoacetica can thus harvest photoexcited electrons from the PFP/PDI heterojunction, driving the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway to synthesize acetic acid from CO2 under illumination. The efficiency of this organic biohybrid is about 1.6 %, which is comparable to those of reported inorganic biohybrid systems. Abstract : Lighting up Moorella : An organic semiconductor–bacteria biohybrid photosynthetic system is presented that efficiently reduces CO2 to produce acetic acid through the non‐photosynthetic bacteria Moorella thermoacetica .