Single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces facilitate direct electron transfer for solar-to-chemical conversion
Abstract Biotic-abiotic hybrid systems show significant promise for solar-to-chemical conversion by integrating intracellular biocatalytic pathways with artificially synthesized semiconductors. However, due to intricate interfacial connection and ubiquitous heterogeneities between microorganisms and...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62062-9 |
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| author | Wentao Song Yong Liu Yao Wu Cheng Wang Zhourui Liu Yinan Liu Xinyue Zhang Lei Cao Bowen Li Bo Song Bin Cao Yingfang Yao Xianwen Mao Qian He Zhigang Zou Bin Liu |
| author_facet | Wentao Song Yong Liu Yao Wu Cheng Wang Zhourui Liu Yinan Liu Xinyue Zhang Lei Cao Bowen Li Bo Song Bin Cao Yingfang Yao Xianwen Mao Qian He Zhigang Zou Bin Liu |
| author_sort | Wentao Song |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Biotic-abiotic hybrid systems show significant promise for solar-to-chemical conversion by integrating intracellular biocatalytic pathways with artificially synthesized semiconductors. However, due to intricate interfacial connection and ubiquitous heterogeneities between microorganisms and materials, it remains challenging to achieve atomically precise interface contact and elucidate electron transport mechanism at the single-/sub-cell levels for efficient solar energy transformation. Herein, we report a general design of facilitating direct electron transfer pathway through constructing single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces to enhance solar-to-chemical conversion. Specifically, using C3N4/Ru-Shewanella hybrid system as a demonstration, we discover that single-atom bridges promote effective charge separation and reduce electron transfer barriers at the biohybrid interfaces. Moreover, operando single-cell photocurrent technique and theoretical calculations further quantitatively unravel that C3N4/Ru-Shewanella with a unique Ru-N4 interfacial structure exhibits a 11.0-fold increase in direct electron uptake compared to C3N4-Shewanella. In contrast to Shewanella and C3N4-Shewanella, C3N4/Ru-Shewanella shows 47.5- and 14.2-fold improvement for solar-driven H2 production, respectively, achieving a remarkable quantum yield of 8.46%. This work, further supported via proteomic analysis and C3N4/Cu-Shewanella biohybrids, highlights the universal strategy of single atoms mediating direct electron uptake and provides insights into atomic-level charge dynamics in microbe-semiconductor biohybrids towards solar energy utilization. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-22e51468e3b249b68f13b1c45ec4f433 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-22e51468e3b249b68f13b1c45ec4f4332025-08-20T03:46:17ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-62062-9Single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces facilitate direct electron transfer for solar-to-chemical conversionWentao Song0Yong Liu1Yao Wu2Cheng Wang3Zhourui Liu4Yinan Liu5Xinyue Zhang6Lei Cao7Bowen Li8Bo Song9Bin Cao10Yingfang Yao11Xianwen Mao12Qian He13Zhigang Zou14Bin Liu15Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Material Science and Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Material Science and Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of SingaporeEco-materials and Renewable Energy Research Center (ERERC), College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing UniversitySingapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological UniversityDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of SingaporeSingapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological UniversityEco-materials and Renewable Energy Research Center (ERERC), College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing UniversityDepartment of Material Science and Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Material Science and Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of SingaporeEco-materials and Renewable Energy Research Center (ERERC), College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing UniversityDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of SingaporeAbstract Biotic-abiotic hybrid systems show significant promise for solar-to-chemical conversion by integrating intracellular biocatalytic pathways with artificially synthesized semiconductors. However, due to intricate interfacial connection and ubiquitous heterogeneities between microorganisms and materials, it remains challenging to achieve atomically precise interface contact and elucidate electron transport mechanism at the single-/sub-cell levels for efficient solar energy transformation. Herein, we report a general design of facilitating direct electron transfer pathway through constructing single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces to enhance solar-to-chemical conversion. Specifically, using C3N4/Ru-Shewanella hybrid system as a demonstration, we discover that single-atom bridges promote effective charge separation and reduce electron transfer barriers at the biohybrid interfaces. Moreover, operando single-cell photocurrent technique and theoretical calculations further quantitatively unravel that C3N4/Ru-Shewanella with a unique Ru-N4 interfacial structure exhibits a 11.0-fold increase in direct electron uptake compared to C3N4-Shewanella. In contrast to Shewanella and C3N4-Shewanella, C3N4/Ru-Shewanella shows 47.5- and 14.2-fold improvement for solar-driven H2 production, respectively, achieving a remarkable quantum yield of 8.46%. This work, further supported via proteomic analysis and C3N4/Cu-Shewanella biohybrids, highlights the universal strategy of single atoms mediating direct electron uptake and provides insights into atomic-level charge dynamics in microbe-semiconductor biohybrids towards solar energy utilization.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62062-9 |
| spellingShingle | Wentao Song Yong Liu Yao Wu Cheng Wang Zhourui Liu Yinan Liu Xinyue Zhang Lei Cao Bowen Li Bo Song Bin Cao Yingfang Yao Xianwen Mao Qian He Zhigang Zou Bin Liu Single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces facilitate direct electron transfer for solar-to-chemical conversion Nature Communications |
| title | Single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces facilitate direct electron transfer for solar-to-chemical conversion |
| title_full | Single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces facilitate direct electron transfer for solar-to-chemical conversion |
| title_fullStr | Single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces facilitate direct electron transfer for solar-to-chemical conversion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces facilitate direct electron transfer for solar-to-chemical conversion |
| title_short | Single-atom bridges across biotic-abiotic interfaces facilitate direct electron transfer for solar-to-chemical conversion |
| title_sort | single atom bridges across biotic abiotic interfaces facilitate direct electron transfer for solar to chemical conversion |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62062-9 |
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