Porous silicon/photosynthetic reaction center hybrid nanostructure
Résumé
Multifunctional self-assembled nanoscale materials based on bio-matter are of special interests because of promising peculiar applications, like in optoelectronics, biosensors, photovoltaics. Among the existing carrier matrices conductive metal oxides (e.g. indium tin oxide, ITO), carbon nanotubes, graphenes, silicon (Si) are the most frequently used materials because of their unique characteristics such as good conductivity, good optical properties and excellent adhesion to substrates. In our work we combined purified photosynthetic reaction center protein (RC) and porous silicon (PSi) investigating the morphology and optoelectronic properties of the bio-nanocomposite material. FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated the binding of the protein to the PSi. Specular reflectance spectra showed a red shift in the characteristic interference peak of the PSi microcavity which was saturated at higher concentration of the protein. The binding was more effective if the functionalization was done by the Si-specific oligopeptide compared to the classical covalent binding via aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES). Excitation by single saturation flashes indicated that the RC still exhibited photochemical turnover after the binding.