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Related Concept Videos

Photosystem I01:27

Photosystem I

61.9K
Although structurally similar to photosystem II (PSII), photosystem I (PSI) is has a different electron supplier and electron acceptor.
Both these photosystems work in concert. An excited electron from PSII is relayed to PSI via an electron transport chain in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast, which is comprised of the carrier molecule plastoquinone, the dual-protein cytochrome complex, and plastocyanin. As electrons move between PSII and PSI, they lose energy and must be re-energized...
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Photosystems01:32

Photosystems

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Photosystems are multiprotein complexes that form the functional units of photosynthesis in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. They are found embedded in the membrane of tiny sac-like structures called thylakoids placed inside the chloroplast.
Functioning of Photosystems
Photosystems contain many pigment molecules, such as chlorophylls and carotenoids, arranged in a particular organization across two domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment...
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Photosystem II01:22

Photosystem II

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The multi-protein complex photosystem II (PS II) harvests photons and transfers their energy through its bound pigments to its reaction center, and ultimately to photosystem I (PSI) through the electron transport chain. The pigments responsible for caputirng the light energy in photosystems include chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids.
The pigment molecules are arranged across  two photosystem domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment...
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The Antenna Complex01:42

The Antenna Complex

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Plants and other photosynthetic organisms comprise pigments capable of absorption of direct sunlight. These pigments are present in the reaction center - the main site of photochemical reactions as well as in the antenna complex. Under average light conditions, the rate at which reaction center pigments absorb light is far below the electron transport chain's capacity. As a result, the reaction center alone cannot provide enough energy to drive photosynthesis. The photosynthetic efficiency...
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The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis01:34

The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis

10.0K
The light reactions of photosynthesis assume a linear flow of electrons from water to NADP+. During this process, light energy drives the splitting of water molecules to produce oxygen. However, oxidation of water molecules is a thermodynamically unfavorable reaction and requires a strong oxidizing agent. This is accomplished by the first product of light reactions: oxidized P680 (or P680+), the most powerful oxidizing agent known in biology. The oxidized P680 that acquires an electron from the...
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P-N junction01:11

P-N junction

480
A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...
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All-electronic Nanosecond-resolved Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Facilitating the Investigation of Single Dopant Charge Dynamics
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Photosystem I complexes form remarkably stable self-assembled tunneling junctions.

Nahid Torabi1, Ryan C Chiechi1,2

  • 1Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.

Nanoscale
|September 30, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers created stable molecular tunneling junctions using light-harvesting protein complexes. These robust junctions exhibit temperature-independent electron transport and rectification, overcoming common fragility in molecular electronics.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular electronics
  • Biophysics
  • Materials science

Background:

  • Molecular junctions are crucial for advanced electronics.
  • Protein complexes offer unique electronic properties.
  • Previous molecular electronics faced challenges with stability and large-scale fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop large-area molecular tunneling junctions using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of light-harvesting protein complexes.
  • To investigate the charge-transport properties and stability of these junctions.
  • To explore the potential of protein complexes in robust molecular electronic devices.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of molecular junctions using SAMs of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid (PCBA) on gold (Au) supported by mica substrates.
  • Self-assembly of light-harvesting protein complexes (from spinach and cyanobacteria) on PCBA SAMs.
  • Measurement of charge-transport at variable temperatures (130–310 K) and over three months using eutectic Ga-In (EGaIn) top contacts.

Main Results:

  • Protein complexes adopted a preferred orientation, enabling temperature-independent charge transport via non-resonant tunneling.
  • The molecular junctions exhibited rectification.
  • Junctions remained stable for at least three months at room temperature, with a 97% yield.

Conclusions:

  • A straightforward strategy for creating robust, large-area molecular junctions using protein complexes was demonstrated.
  • The developed junctions overcome the common fragility issues in molecular electronics.
  • These findings pave the way for practical applications of biomolecular components in electronic devices.