Skip to main content

Cryogenic Magnetic Resonance and Highly Electron Correlated Theories Applied to Photosynthetic Energy Conversion


EMSL Project ID
47997

Abstract

The goal of this proposal is to demonstrate a unique capability to be enabled in the EMSL, the integration of leading-edge cryogenic NMR and EPR spectroscopy measurements with highly electron correlated computations, to characterize the structure and dynamics of natural and artificial photosynthetic systems. In Nature, the solar water-splitting protein complex, photosystem II (PSII), catalyzes one of the most energetically demanding reactions by using light energy to drive water oxidation. The four-electron water oxidation reaction occurs in the oxygen-evolving complex of PSII (Figure 1). The OEC of PSII offers the single most critical scientific challenge for its importance in life processes and as a template for designing a new generation of bio-inspired solar energy devices. To date, the structure and physico-chemical properties of the OEC and the mechanism of the solar water oxidation reaction remain elusive. The proposed capability has the power to resolve the electronic structure of the OEC and the mechanism of water oxidation in PSII. The findings of this study will greatly impact the design of highly-efficient and robust artificial bio-inspired catalysts for solar energy conversion.

Project Details

Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2013-10-01
End Date
2015-09-30
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

K. V. Lakshmi
Institution
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Team Members

Ping Yang
Institution
Los Alamos National Laboratory