NIRT-Integration of Photosynthetic Complexes into Novel Biomolecular Electronic Devices

该提案是对纳米科学与工程计划（NSF 03-043，类别NIRT）的响应。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，他们将探索利用自然发生的光合复合体来生产高效的光伏装置（太阳能电池）。传统的硅基（无机）太阳能电池仍然是昂贵的和能源密集型的制造。这限制了光伏设备的使用，使其在全球能源供应中所占的比例远远低于1%。研究人员的初步工作表明，细菌光合系统的总量子量接近100%，可以与无定形有机半导体结合，从而生产出一个功能齐全的设备。虽然这种装置的效率很低，但对保持光系统组件的膜结构的稳定性的研究有望使这种装置的功率转换效率达到或超过现有最好的硅基光伏装置。如果成功的话，这一努力最终将导致生产出灵活轻便的廉价太阳能电池，并与无机半导体电池竞争。除了这些研究工作，研究人员将采取多层次的教育策略，通过研究参与和各种研究生水平的课程，以研究生和本科生为目标。针对中学生及其教师的外展工作也在计划之中。

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.