Hybrid bioinorganic approach to solar-to-chemical conversion

Journal Article · Mon Aug 24 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1508075112· OSTI ID:1235139

Nichols, Eva M. ^[1]; Gallagher, Joseph J. ^[2]; Liu, Chong ^[3]; Su, Yude ^[4]; Resasco, Joaquin ^[5]; Yu, Yi ^[4]; Sun, Yujie ^[6]; Yang, Peidong ^[7]; Chang, Michelle C. Y. ^[8]; Chang, Christopher J. ^[9]

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1. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720,
2. Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,
3. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720,
4. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,
5. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,
6. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322,
7. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720,
8. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,
9. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720

Significance Natural photosynthesis, a process of solar-to-chemical conversion, uses light, water, and carbon dioxide to generate the chemical products needed to sustain life. Here we report a strategy inspired by photosynthesis in which compatible inorganic and biological components are used to transform light, water, and carbon dioxide to the value-added product methane. Specifically, this solar-to-chemical conversion platform interfaces photoactive inorganic materials that produce hydrogen from water and sunlight with microorganisms that consume this sustainably derived hydrogen to drive the transformation of carbon dioxide to methane with high efficiency. This system establishes a starting point for a broader materials biology approach to the synthesis of more complex chemical products from carbon dioxide and water.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 1235139
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Vol. 112 Journal Issue: 37; ISSN 0027-8424
• Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English