· 논문명 : Amine-Rich Hydrogels for Molecular Nanoarchitectonics of Photosystem II and Inverse Opal TiO2 toward 

                Solar Water Oxidation

· 저    자 : Sanghyun Bae, Minjung Kim, Nyeongbeen Jo, Kwang Min Kim, Chaiheon Lee, Tae-Hyuk Kwon, Yoon Sung Nam,

               Jungki Ryu*

· 게재지 : Applied materials and interfaces (2024, 16, 16086-16095)

· 초록

Solar water oxidation is a crucial process in lightdriven reductive synthesis, providing electrons and protons for various chemical

reductions. Despite advances in light-harvesting materials and cocatalysts, achieving high efficiency and stability remains challenging.

In this study, we present a simple yet effective strategy for immobilizing natural photosystems (PS) made of abundant and inexpensive

elements, using amine-rich polyethylenimine(PEI) hydrogels, to fabricate organic/inorganic hybrid photoanodes. Natural PS II extracted 

from spinach was successfully immobilized on inverse opal TiO2 photoanodes in the presence of PEI hydrogels, leading to greatly 

enhanced solar water oxidation activity. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) analyses reveal that PS II can be immobilized in specific 

orientations through electrostatic interactions between the positively charged amine groups of PEI and the negatively charged stromal 

side of PS II. This specific orientation ensures efficient photogenerated charge separation and suppresses undesired side reactions 

such as the production of reactive oxygen species. Our study provides an effective immobilization platform and sheds light on the 

potential utilization of PS II in PEC water oxidation.