Single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces facilitate direct electron transfer for solar-to-chemical...

Area of Science:

• Biohybrid systems
• Photocatalysis
• Renewable energy

Background:

• Biotic-abiotic hybrid systems integrate microorganisms and semiconductors for solar-to-chemical conversion.
• Challenges exist in achieving precise interfacial contact and understanding electron transport at the single-cell level.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a general strategy for facilitating direct electron transfer across biotic-abiotic interfaces using single-atom bridges.
• To enhance solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency in microbe-semiconductor biohybrids.

Main Methods:

• Construction of single-atom bridges at biotic-abiotic interfaces (e.g., C3N4/Ru-Shewanella).
• Operando single-cell photocurrent measurements.
• Theoretical calculations and proteomic analysis.

Main Results:

• Single-atom bridges effectively promote charge separation and reduce electron transfer barriers.
• The C3N4/Ru-Shewanella system showed an 11.0-fold increase in direct electron uptake.
• Solar-driven H2 production improved by 47.5-fold compared to Shewanella alone, achieving an 8.46% quantum yield.

Conclusions:

• Single atoms serve as a universal strategy to mediate direct electron uptake in microbe-semiconductor biohybrids.
• Atomic-level control of interfaces is crucial for efficient solar energy utilization.
• This approach provides insights into charge dynamics for advanced solar energy applications.