PHOTOSYNTHETIC PROTEINS FOR ENERGY HARVESTING, STORAGE AND SENSING

Abstract

Photosynthetic proteins, by virtue of their almost unit quantum efficiency, are envisioned to be crucial for developing highly efficient and sustainable energy harvesting devices such as biophotoelectrochemical cells and biosolar cells. Most of the photosynthetic protein complexes including the Reaction Centers (RCs) derived from Rhodobacter Sphaeroids have been primarily utilized in the development of solar cells with a 100% quantum yield in the primary charge separation process. Despite this advantage, and numerous attempts to improve the photocurrent generation, the degradation of the protein when it is deprived of its natural environment, possesses a significant disadvantage in terms of stability of the solar cells, and the photocurrent generated is too feeble for practical use. In this thesis, few alternative novel approaches in the design and construction of bio-hybrid devices using photosynthetic proteins have been explored wherein the light-harvesting ability is also expanded to the areas of sensing and energy storage applications.