科学家一直在试图实现人工光合作用，以生成太阳能氢。光合作用的过程使用水和二氧化碳将太阳能转化为可储存的燃料。研究人员一直在努力模仿和实施这一过程，以用于光电化学细胞（PEC）和类似的能源设备应用。
赤铁矿纳米颗粒膜（红色）带有功能性植物蛋白网络（绿色）。（图片由E. Vitol博士，Argonne国家实验室）
为了产生氢，PEC使用阳光以电化学分裂。该过程比使用光伏细胞进行水电解的过程要短。PEC电极通常由半导体材料制成，其中一些材料具有光催化特性。欧洲杯足球竞彩
Empa researchers at the Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics (LHPC) have been conducting research on the nanoparticles of these semiconducting materials for neutralizing organic pollutants found in water and air. The researchers partnered with Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Basel and developed a nano-bio PEC electrode. This electrode has double the efficiency of iron oxide in splitting water. The nano-bio PEC electrode consists of iron oxide that is conjugated with a protein derived from cyanobacteria or blue-green algae.
氧化铁，尤其是赤铁矿比二氧化钛（TIO）更有效地使用阳光2) and other photocatalysts, which have the capability to use only the UV part of solar radiation. As hematite material is susceptible to visible wavelengths, they are a better option for PECs.
Phycocyanin is a protein from blue-green algae. It is an important light-harvesting component of the bacteria. Debajeet K. Bora, a researcher who performed his PhD thesis at Empa, designed the new electrode using proteins and ceramics. Surface functionalization of hematites with proteins is a new concept in the research of PECs. Researcher Bora cross-coupled phycocyanin to the hematite nanoparticles covalently. This made the compounded hematite to absorb more photons. When compared to an iron oxide electrode, the photocurrent induced was double.
令人惊讶的是，即使在碱性环境中强烈的照明下，当与光催化剂接触时，光收集蛋白复合物也不会破坏。在这种情况下，有机分子可以在恶劣的光催化条件下生存，并将光电流加倍。
来源：http://www.empa.ch/