Light-Driven Hybrid Nanoreactor Harnessing the Synergy of Carboxysomes and Organic Frameworks for Efficient Hydrogen Production

Abstract

Synthetic photobiocatalysts are promising catalysts for valuable chemical transformations by harnessing solar energy inspired by natural photosynthesis. However, the synergistic integration of all of the components for efficient light harvesting, cascade electron transfer, and efficient biocatalytic reactions presents a formidable challenge. In particular, replicating intricate multiscale hierarchical assembly and functional segregation involved in natural photosystems, such as photosystems I and II, remains particularly demanding within artificial structures. Here, we report the bottom-up construction of a visible-light-driven chemical–biological hybrid nanoreactor with augmented photocatalytic efficiency by anchoring an α-carboxysome shell encasing [FeFe]-hydrogenases (H–S) on the surface of a hydrogen-bonded organic molecular crystal, a microporous α-polymorph of 1,3,6,8-tetra(4′-carboxyphenyl)pyrene (TBAP-α). The self-association of this chemical–biological hybrid system is facilitated by hydrogen bonds, as revealed by molecular dynamics simulations. Within this hybrid photobiocatalyst, TBAP-α functions as an antenna for visible-light absorption and exciton generation, supplying electrons for sacrificial hydrogen production by H–S in aqueous solutions. This coordination allows the hybrid nanoreactor, H–S|TBAP-α, to execute hydrogen evolution exclusively driven by light irradiation with a rate comparable to that of photocatalyst-loaded precious cocatalyst. The established approach to constructing new light-driven biocatalysts combines the synergistic power of biological nanotechnology with the multilength-scale structure and functional control offered by supramolecular organic semiconductors. It opens up innovative opportunities for the fabrication of biomimetic nanoreactors for sustainable fuel production and enzymatic reactions.