Semiconductor-metal nanoparticle hybrids with natural and artificial proton pump for hydrogen production
Aspects of the disclosure relate to an efficient entirely man-made nanobio hybrid fabricated through cell-free expression of transmembrane proton pump followed by assembly of the synthetic protein architecture with semiconductor nanoparticles for photocatalytic H 2 evolution. The system produces H 2 at a turnover rate of 240 μmol of H 2 (μmol protein) −1 h −1 under green and 17.74 mmol of H 2 (μmol protein) −1 h −1 under white light at ambient conditions, in water at neutral pH with methanol as a sacrificial electron donor. Robsutness and flexibility of this approach allows for systemic manipulation at nanoparticle-bio interface toward directed evolution of energy materials and devices.
1. A photocatalyst comprising a synthetically produced opsin disposed in an artificial purple membrane non-covalently coupled to a semiconductor nanocluster.
2. The photocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the synthetically produced opsin is produced in a cell-free system.
3. The photocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the synthetically produced opsin is a rhodopsin capable of the light-driven translocation of ions across the artificial purple membrane.
4. The photocatalyst of claim 3 , wherein the synthetically produced opsin is bacteriorhodopsin.
5. The photocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor is selected from the group of: Si, SiC, GaAs, GaInP, GaN, CdS, CdSe, TiO 2 , VO 2 , ZrO 2 , Fe 3 O 4 , Fe 2 O 3 , MnO 2 , NiO, ZnO, Bi 2 O 3 and CuO.
6. The photocatalyst of claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor is TiO 2 .
7. The photocatalyst of claim 1 , further comprising a co-catalyst.
8. The photocatalyst of claim 7 , wherein the co-catalyst is selected from the group of: Pt, Pd, Au, Ag, and composites of thereof.
9. The photocatalyst of claim 8 , wherein the co-catalyst is Pt.
10. The photocatalyst of claim 7 , wherein the co-catalyst is dotted on the semiconductor nanocluster.
11. The photocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the photocatalyst is active in white light and neutral pH.
12. A fuel cell comprising:
a photocatalyst comprising a synthetically produced opsin disposed in an artificial purple membrane non-covalently coupled to a semiconductor nanocluster.
13. The fuel cell of claim 12 , wherein the photocatalyst is provided in an aqueous slurry.
14. A method of producing hydrogen, comprising photocatalytically splitting water using the photocatalyst of claim 1 .
15. The photocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor is a metal oxide.