Artificial chloroplast: Au/chloroplast-morph-TiO2 with fast electron transfer and enhanced photocatalytic activity

The unique structures and functional features of chloroplasts in green plants provide a promising blueprint for greatly improving solar energy utilization efficiency. In this paper, a prototype of artificial chloroplast, Au/chloroplast-morph-TiO2 with natural chloroplasts' nanostructure and analogous functional features, is provided. The nano-layered structures of chloroplast template inherited in the chloroplast-morph-TiO2 lead to a large reaction area and fast photo-induced electron transfer; cocatalyst Au nanoparticles which work as reaction centers promote photo-induced charge separation and improve the overall photocatalytic activity in hydrogen production; Nitrogen and phosphorus self-doped from the bio-template increase visible light absorption, similar to the antenna pigment. With this new inorganic artificial photosynthetic system, we achieve effective light utilization, fast photo-induced charge separation, high electron transfer, enhanced photocatalytic activity for dye degradation rate and improved H-2 evolution efficiency. This concept provides the inspiration for constructing efficient photocatalysts by imitating the photosynthesis process from both structures and functions. Copyright (C) 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.