Electrochemiluminescence and conjugated polymer-based photosynthesis system for regulating the photoreaction of a cyanobacterium

Abstract

Photosynthesis is the fundamental energy conversion process sustaining life on Earth. While red and blue light spectra have been empirically utilized to enhance photosynthetic efficiency in controlled plant factories, the mechanistic interplay between these wavelengths and photochemical reactions remains underexplored. This study presents a breakthrough in photosynthetic optimization through the development of a novel tripartite system integrating cyanobacterial photochemistry (Synechococcus sp. PCC7942), an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) platform, and conjugated polymer nanoparticles (PFBT-NPs). Our engineered ECL system generates intrinsic blue emission (λ = 425 nm) through luminol oxidation, while the strategically designed PFBT-NPs enable efficient energy down-conversion to the red spectrum (λ = 650 nm) via Förster resonance energy transfer. Notably, the photosynthetic apparatus demonstrated that red and blue light improved the light absorption, utilization, and electron transfer in the photoreaction of Syne. The photoreaction products, such as ATP, NADPH, and NADP⁺ increased by 11.2%, 39.5%, and 39.3%, respectively. This work reports an ideal design of an ECL system and conjugated polymer, providing a strategy to achieve simultaneous blue and red emission and promote photosynthesis.