NIRT-Integration of Photosynthetic Complexes into Novel Biomolecular Electronic Devices

这项导致该奖项的提案是对NSF 03-043 NIRT类纳米科学与工程倡议的回应。该奖项将支持田纳西大学和麻省理工学院的研究人员的共同努力，他们将探索使用自然产生的光合作用复合体来生产高效的光伏设备(太阳能电池)。传统的硅基(无机)太阳能电池的制造成本仍然很高，能源消耗也很大。这将光伏设备的使用限制在全球能源供应的1%以下。研究人员的初步工作表明，细菌光合作用系统的总质量接近100%，可以与无定形有机半导体连接起来，制造出功能正常的设备。尽管这种器件的效率很低，但稳定保持光系统组件的膜结构的工作有望带来功率转换效率可以与现有最好的硅基光伏器件相媲美或超过的器件。如果成功，这一努力最终可能导致廉价太阳能电池的生产，这种电池灵活、轻便，性能与无机半导体电池具有竞争力。除了这些研究努力外，调查人员还将采取多层次教育战略，通过参与研究和各种研究生水平的课程来瞄准研究生和本科生。还计划开展针对中学生和他们的老师的外展活动。

This proposal leading to this award was received in response to Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 03-043, category NIRT. The award will support the joint efforts of investigators at the University of Tennessee and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who will explore the use of naturally occurring photosynthetic complexes to produce an efficient photovoltaic device (solar cell). Conventional silicon-based (inorganic) solar cells remain costly and energy intensive to manufacture. This has limited the use of photovoltaic devices to much less than 1% of the worldwide supply of energy. Preliminary work by the investigators has shown that bacterial photosynthetic systems, whose overall quantum is nearly 100%, can be joined to amorphous organic semiconductors to produce a functioning device. Although this device has low efficiency, work on stabilization of the membranous structures that hold the photosystem components is expected to lead to devices whose power conversion efficiency can match or exceed that of the best existing silicon-based photovoltaic devices. If successful, this effort could eventually lead to the production of inexpensive solar cells that are flexible and lightweight, and that perform competitively with inorganic semiconductor cells. In addition to these research efforts, the investigators will undertake a multi-tiered education strategy that targets graduate and undergraduate students through research involvement and a variety of graduate-level courses. Outreach efforts aimed at middle school students and their teachers are also planned.