Issue 27, 2020

Photocurrent generation by a photosystem I-NiO photocathode for a p-type biophotovoltaic tandem cell

Abstract

Photosynthesis is a process used by algae and plants to convert light energy into chemical energy. Due to their uniquely natural and environmentally friendly nature, photosynthetic proteins have attracted attention for use in a variety of artificial applications. Among the various types, biophotovoltaics based on dye-sensitized solar cells have been demonstrated in many studies. Although most related works have used n-type semiconductors, a p-type semiconductor is also a significant potential component for tandem cells. In this work, we used mesoporous NiO as a p-type semiconductor substrate for Photosystem I (PSI) and demonstrated a p-type PSI-biophotovoltaic and tandem cell based on dye-sensitized solar cells. Under visible light illumination, the PSI-adsorbed NiO electrode generated a cathodic photocurrent. The p-type biophotovoltaic cell using the PSI-adsorbed NiO electrode generated electricity, and the IPCE spectrum was consistent with the absorption spectrum of PSI. These results indicate that the PSI-adsorbed NiO electrode acts as a photocathode. Moreover, a tandem cell consisting of the PSI-NiO photocathode and a PSI-TiO2 photoanode showed a high open-circuit voltage of over 0.7 V under illumination to the TiO2 side. Thus, the tandem strategy can be utilized for biophotovoltaics, and the use of other biomaterials that match the solar spectrum will lead to further progress in photovoltaic performance.

Graphical abstract: Photocurrent generation by a photosystem I-NiO photocathode for a p-type biophotovoltaic tandem cell

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 feb 2020
Accepted
15 apr 2020
First published
21 apr 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2020,10, 15734-15739

Photocurrent generation by a photosystem I-NiO photocathode for a p-type biophotovoltaic tandem cell

Y. Takekuma, N. Ikeda, K. Kawakami, N. Kamiya, M. Nango and M. Nagata, RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 15734 DOI: 10.1039/D0RA01793K

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