Pueraria lobata (Kudzu) Photosystem I Improves the Photoelectrochemical Performance of Silicon

Abstract

Photosystem I (PSI), a protein complex found within the thylakoid membrane of green plants and some bacteria, drives nature's 90-terawatt solar energy conversion process known as photosynthesis. Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is an invasive vine from eastern Asia that grows in the southern United States, spreading at ∼500 km² per year and causing extensive environmental damage. This article reports the first integration of nature's optimized solar energy converter—PSI from the fast-growing, invasive leaves of kudzu—with the ubiquitous platform of integrated circuits—silicon—to prepare a “wet” photoelectrochemical cell. Herein, we report on the success of PSI films extracted from the kudzu leaf and deposited on boron-doped silicon (p-Si) to enhance photoelectrochemical current over p-Si alone.