Silicon Nanowire Photocathodes for Light-Driven Electroenzymatic Synthesis

Abstract

The photoelectroenzymatic synthesis of chemical compounds employing platinum nanoparticle-decorated silicon nanowires (Pt-SiNWs) is presented. The Pt-SiNWs proved to be an efficient material for photoelectrochemical cofactor regeneration because the silicon nanowires absorbs a wide range of the solar spectrum while the platinum nanoparticle serve as an excellent catalyst for electron and proton transfer. By integrating the platform with redox enzymatic reaction, visible-light-driven electroenzymatic synthesis of L-glutamate was achieved. Compared to electrochemical and photochemical methods, this approach is free from side reactions caused by sacrificial electron donors and has the advantage of applying low potential to realize energy-efficient and sustainable synthesis of chemicals by a photoelectroenzymatic system.