The Electrochemical Leaf:Rapid, Reversible Cycling of Nicotinamide Cofactors for Enzyme-based Organic Synthesis

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A new invention, the 'Electrochemical Leaf' integrates a universal component of green leaves with a conducting metal oxide to produce a unique bio-hydrid material to drive enzyme-based organic synthesis. The 'Leaf is a platform technology with numerous applications. The first bond-forming stage of photosynthetic CO2 uptake in plants involves a simple enzyme called ferredoxin-NADP-reductase (FNR) which uses photo-excited electrons to recycle the 'nicotinamide' cofactor NADPH that is consumed (yielding NADP+) in the primary CO2-fixing process (Calvin cycle). In the 'Leaf, FNR is embedded in mesoporous indium tin oxide (ITO) deposited on a support, resulting in an electrode (FNR@ITO/support) that recycles NADPH/NADP+ rapidly and reversibly, using electricity. More than 1000 enzymes use nicotinamides in selective organic reactions, but industry cannot exploit this chemistry. The 'Leaf' is a platform technology that represents a step change.