A photosynthetic-plasmonic-voltaic cell: Excitation of photosynthetic bacteria and current collection through a plasmonic substrate

作者：Samsonoff Nathan^*; Ooms Matthew D; Sinton David

来源：Applied Physics Letters, 2014, 104(4): 043704.

DOI：10.1063/1.4863679

Excitation of photosynthetic biofilms using surface-confined evanescent light fields enables energy dense photobioreactors, while electrode-adhered biofilms can provide electricity directly. Here, we demonstrate concurrent light delivery and electron transport through a plasmonically excited metal film. Biofilms of cyanobacterium Synechococcus bacillaris on 50-nm gold films are excited via the Kretschmann configuration at lambda = 670 nm. Cells show light/dark response to plasmonic excitation and grow denser biofilms, closer to the electrode surface, as compared to the direct irradiated case. Directly irradiated biofilms produced average electrical powers of 5.7 mu W/m(2) and plasmonically excited biofilms produced average electrical powers of 5.8 mu W/m(2), with individual biofilms producing as much as 12 mu W/m(2).

• 出版日期2014-1-27