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A bacteriorhodopsin-based biohybrid solar cell using carbon-based electrolyte and cathode components.

Christopher Espinoza-Araya1, Ricardo Starbird2, E Senthil Prasad3

  • 1Escuela de Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago 30101, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación y Extensión en Ingeniería de Materiales (CIEMTEC), Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago 30101, Costa Rica; Maestría en Ingeniería de Dispositivos Médicos, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago 30101, Costa Rica.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Bioenergetics
|May 26, 2023
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces a novel bio-sensitized solar cell (BSC) using bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and carbon-based materials. The developed bR-based solar cell demonstrates potential for cost-effective and sustainable renewable energy generation.

Keywords:
BacteriorhodopsinBio-sensitized solar cellCarbon nanotubesPEDOTQuinone

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Area of Science:

  • Renewable Energy Technologies
  • Materials Science
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Global demand for sustainable energy drives research into novel solar cell technologies.
  • Bio-sensitized solar cells (BSCs) offer promising optical and photoelectrical properties.
  • Bacteriorhodopsin (bR), a stable and efficient photoactive protein, is a key biosensitizer candidate.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and characterize a bio-based solar cell using a mutant bacteriorhodopsin (D96N) as a photosensitizer.
  • To integrate low-cost, carbon-based components for the photoanode, cathode, and electrolyte.
  • To evaluate the electrochemical performance and efficiency of the novel bio-sensitized solar cell.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of a photoanode-sensitized TiO2 solar cell utilizing D96N bacteriorhodopsin.
  • Construction of a cathode using PEDOT functionalized with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT).
  • Electrochemical characterization using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), open circuit potential decay (VOC), and impedance spectroscopy (EIS).

Main Results:

  • The champion device achieved a current density (JSC) of 1.0 mA/cm², a VOC of -669 mV, and a fill factor of ~24%.
  • The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the bio-sensitized solar cell was determined to be 0.16%.
  • Morphological and chemical characterization of photoanode and cathode were performed using SEM, TEM, and Raman spectroscopy.

Conclusions:

  • This work presents one of the first bio-based solar cells employing carbon-based alternatives for key components.
  • The developed bacteriorhodopsin-based solar cell demonstrates potential for reduced manufacturing costs.
  • The integration of bio-based and carbon materials significantly enhances the sustainability of solar energy devices.