posted on 2024-11-15, 11:03authored byChong Yong LeeChong Yong Lee, Hyun S Park, Juan Fontecilla-Camps, Erwin Reisner
The combination of enzymes with semiconductors enables the photoelectrochemical characterization of electron-transfer processes at highly active and well-defined catalytic sites on a light-harvesting electrode surface. Herein, we report the integration of a hydrogenase on a TiO2-coated p-Si photocathode for the photo-reduction of protons to H2. The immobilized hydrogenase exhibits activity on Si attributable to a bifunctional TiO2 layer, which protects the Si electrode from oxidation and acts as a biocompatible support layer for the productive adsorption of the enzyme. The p-Si|TiO2|hydrogenase photocathode displays visible-light driven production of H2 at an energy-storing, positive electrochemical potential and an essentially quantitative faradaic efficiency. We have thus established a widely applicable platform to wire redox enzymes in an active configuration on a p-type semiconductor photocathode through the engineering of the enzyme-materials interface.
History
Citation
Lee, C., Park, H. S., Fontecilla-Camps, J. C. & Reisner, E. (2016). Photoelectrochemical H2 evolution with a hydrogenase immobilized on a TiO2-protected silicon electrode. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 55 (20), 5971-5974.