Three-dimensional conductive conjugated polyelectrolyte gels facilitate interfacial electron transfer for improved biophotovoltaic performance
Abstract Living biophotovoltaics represent a potentially green and sustainable method to generate bio-electricity by harnessing photosynthetic microorganisms. However, barriers to electron transfer across the abiotic/biotic interface hinder solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies. Herein, we re...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61086-5 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849238500028710912 |
|---|---|
| author | Zhongxin Chen Samantha R. McCuskey Weidong Zhang Benjamin Rui Peng Yip Glenn Quek Yan Jiang David Ohayon Shujian Ong Binu Kundukad Xianwen Mao Guillermo C. Bazan |
| author_facet | Zhongxin Chen Samantha R. McCuskey Weidong Zhang Benjamin Rui Peng Yip Glenn Quek Yan Jiang David Ohayon Shujian Ong Binu Kundukad Xianwen Mao Guillermo C. Bazan |
| author_sort | Zhongxin Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Living biophotovoltaics represent a potentially green and sustainable method to generate bio-electricity by harnessing photosynthetic microorganisms. However, barriers to electron transfer across the abiotic/biotic interface hinder solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies. Herein, we report on a facile method to improve interfacial electron transfer by combining the photosynthetic cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (S. elongatus) with a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) atop indium tin oxide (ITO) charge-collecting electrodes. By self-assembly of the CPE with S. elongatus, soft and semitransparent S. elongatus/CPE biocomposites are formed with three-dimensional (3D) conductive networks that exhibit mixed ionic-electronic conduction. This specific architecture enhances both the natural and mediated exoelectrogenic pathway from cells to electrodes, enabling improved photocurrent output compared to bacteria alone. Electrochemical studies confirm the improved electron transfer at the biotic-abiotic interface through the CPE. Furthermore, microscopic photocurrent mapping of the biocomposites down to the single-cell level reveals a ~ 0.2 nanoampere output per cell, which translates to a 10-fold improvement relative to that of bare S. elongatus, corroborating efficient electron transport from S. elongatus to the electrode. This synergistic combination of biotic and abiotic materials underpins the improved performance of biophotovoltaic devices, offering broader insights into the electron transfer mechanisms relevant to photosynthesis and bioelectronic systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e86e97d86a6440618ff2c62f055a7f67 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-e86e97d86a6440618ff2c62f055a7f672025-08-20T04:01:35ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-61086-5Three-dimensional conductive conjugated polyelectrolyte gels facilitate interfacial electron transfer for improved biophotovoltaic performanceZhongxin Chen0Samantha R. McCuskey1Weidong Zhang2Benjamin Rui Peng Yip3Glenn Quek4Yan Jiang5David Ohayon6Shujian Ong7Binu Kundukad8Xianwen Mao9Guillermo C. Bazan10Institute for Functional Intelligent Materials (I-FIM), National University of SingaporeInstitute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science (IDMxS), Nanyang Technological UniversityInstitute for Functional Intelligent Materials (I-FIM), National University of SingaporeInstitute for Functional Intelligent Materials (I-FIM), National University of SingaporeInstitute for Functional Intelligent Materials (I-FIM), National University of SingaporeInstitute for Functional Intelligent Materials (I-FIM), National University of SingaporeInstitute for Functional Intelligent Materials (I-FIM), National University of SingaporeSynthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of SingaporeSingapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological UniversityInstitute for Functional Intelligent Materials (I-FIM), National University of SingaporeInstitute for Functional Intelligent Materials (I-FIM), National University of SingaporeAbstract Living biophotovoltaics represent a potentially green and sustainable method to generate bio-electricity by harnessing photosynthetic microorganisms. However, barriers to electron transfer across the abiotic/biotic interface hinder solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies. Herein, we report on a facile method to improve interfacial electron transfer by combining the photosynthetic cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (S. elongatus) with a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) atop indium tin oxide (ITO) charge-collecting electrodes. By self-assembly of the CPE with S. elongatus, soft and semitransparent S. elongatus/CPE biocomposites are formed with three-dimensional (3D) conductive networks that exhibit mixed ionic-electronic conduction. This specific architecture enhances both the natural and mediated exoelectrogenic pathway from cells to electrodes, enabling improved photocurrent output compared to bacteria alone. Electrochemical studies confirm the improved electron transfer at the biotic-abiotic interface through the CPE. Furthermore, microscopic photocurrent mapping of the biocomposites down to the single-cell level reveals a ~ 0.2 nanoampere output per cell, which translates to a 10-fold improvement relative to that of bare S. elongatus, corroborating efficient electron transport from S. elongatus to the electrode. This synergistic combination of biotic and abiotic materials underpins the improved performance of biophotovoltaic devices, offering broader insights into the electron transfer mechanisms relevant to photosynthesis and bioelectronic systems.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61086-5 |
| spellingShingle | Zhongxin Chen Samantha R. McCuskey Weidong Zhang Benjamin Rui Peng Yip Glenn Quek Yan Jiang David Ohayon Shujian Ong Binu Kundukad Xianwen Mao Guillermo C. Bazan Three-dimensional conductive conjugated polyelectrolyte gels facilitate interfacial electron transfer for improved biophotovoltaic performance Nature Communications |
| title | Three-dimensional conductive conjugated polyelectrolyte gels facilitate interfacial electron transfer for improved biophotovoltaic performance |
| title_full | Three-dimensional conductive conjugated polyelectrolyte gels facilitate interfacial electron transfer for improved biophotovoltaic performance |
| title_fullStr | Three-dimensional conductive conjugated polyelectrolyte gels facilitate interfacial electron transfer for improved biophotovoltaic performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Three-dimensional conductive conjugated polyelectrolyte gels facilitate interfacial electron transfer for improved biophotovoltaic performance |
| title_short | Three-dimensional conductive conjugated polyelectrolyte gels facilitate interfacial electron transfer for improved biophotovoltaic performance |
| title_sort | three dimensional conductive conjugated polyelectrolyte gels facilitate interfacial electron transfer for improved biophotovoltaic performance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61086-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhongxinchen threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance AT samantharmccuskey threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance AT weidongzhang threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance AT benjaminruipengyip threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance AT glennquek threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance AT yanjiang threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance AT davidohayon threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance AT shujianong threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance AT binukundukad threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance AT xianwenmao threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance AT guillermocbazan threedimensionalconductiveconjugatedpolyelectrolytegelsfacilitateinterfacialelectrontransferforimprovedbiophotovoltaicperformance |