Biomaterials Interfaces for Photoactive Proteins

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This award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to Vanderbilt University is to study PhotoSystem I (PSI) for potential applications in solar energy conversion. PSI is the primary macromolecular system in plants and photosynthetic bacteria for the conversion of sun light to useable energy. The main goal of the project will be to understand the fundamental mechanisms of electron transfer to and from immobilized PSI monolayer and multilayer films during the photosynthesis. With this award, methods will be developed to study higher order oriented multilayer structures of PSI with that mimic larger scale biological structures. The deposited films of PSI will be linked through molecular wires for better connectivity and electron conductivity. The following studies will be carried out with this project: 1) attachment of PSI to gold electrodes that are used as molecular wires; 2) optimization of the photoconversion efficiency for PSI monolayers by electrochemical catalysis; 3) functional imaging of PSI by scanning electrochemical microscopy; and 4) study the mechanism of functional multilayer structures that mimic the larger scale biological structures like the thylakoid membranes. The proposed studies are expected to integrate functional biological systems with molecular and mesoscale materials through ?bottom-up? processing, while maintaining the function of the PSI system. The biomimetic approaches proposed could result in converting sunlight to be a potential useable source of energy.The proposed project is expected to enhance the fundamental understanding of the interface between biological structures and well-controlled, model organic materials. New covalent and biomimetic attachments, along with 2-D crystals and strategies will be investigated and their effects measured through electrochemical procedures. This multidisciplinary research team consists of chemical and biomolecular engineers and chemists from Vanderbilt University and Tennessee State University, the largest HBCU in Tennessee. In addition, a large number of graduate and undergraduate students from these institutions will be trained by the research team. Participation of high school teachers and students in the research activities through different programs such as NSF-funded Research Experiences for Teachers and Vanderbilt Summer Academy is another aspect of the project.