BIOinspired photocatalytic POLymersomes for compartmentalized solar Energy conversion

Descripción del proyecto

Un plan sostenible para transformar la luz solar en combustible

Durante años, los científicos han intentado imitar el modo en que las plantas utilizan la luz solar, el agua y el dióxido de carbono a fin de crear combustible limpio. Si bien este planteamiento de fotosíntesis artificial tiene un gran potencial, su puesta en práctica es difícil porque la mayoría de los sistemas fotocatalíticos son ineficaces y presentan limitaciones para controlar las complejas reacciones químicas necesarias. El proyecto BIOPOLE, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, adopta un enfoque innovador inspirado en la estructura interna de los cloroplastos de los organismos fotosintéticos. En lugar de un único espacio de reacción de gran tamaño, se emplean pequeñas cápsulas de polímero (reactores en miniatura) para aislar las distintas etapas del proceso. Mediante la disposición controlada de estos componentes, el sistema BIOPOLE permite dirigir electrones y reacciones con mucha mayor precisión. Este proceso promete convertir la luz solar en combustibles y productos químicos sostenibles.

Objetivo

The transition to sustainable fuel and chemical production using renewable energy sources is paramount to curb CO2 emissions and decrease reliance on fossil fuels. In this context, artificial photosynthesis (AP) offers a promising approach to mimic natural photosynthesis (NP) to store solar energy into chemical bonds, driving the conversion of water and CO2 into renewable products. However, current photocatalytic AP systems are constrained by low efficiency, limited product selectivity, specially going beyond the 2 electron CO2 reduction, and poor control of cross-reactivity in solution.

BIOPOLE introduces an innovative compartmentalized approach to AP by mimicking the spatial layout of thylakoid membranes -which separate oxidation and reduction reactions to minimize cross-reactivity- arranging catalysts, photosensitizers and mediators across artificial membranes. Using polymeric vesicles (polymersomes) as bioinspired photocatalytic microreactors BIOPOLE will compartmentalize redox chemistry to ultimately drive the electrons from the oxidation of water to reduce CO2, offering an efficient and stable platform for solar fuel and chemical production. This project aspires to address key challenges in AP, developing novel advanced photocatalytic polymersomes with controlled membrane properties and functionalization, achieving precise separation of reaction centres, enhanced charge separation, and efficient solar-to-fuel conversion. Using photocatalytic polymersomes as simplified models of natural thylakoids to produce solar fuels and chemicals harnessing light as driving force, BIOPOLE will contribute to the understanding of reactivity at the aqueous interface of polymeric membranes and electron/proton transfer between compartments. Ultimately, BIOPOLE’s unique bioinspired polymersome-based approach promises to advance the design and conceptual development of artificial photosynthetic systems and provide a transformative platform for sustainable fuel production.