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Biological Construction of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotube Electron Transfer Pathways in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Inoue Ippei,
Watanabe Kiyoshi,
Yamauchi Hirofumi,
Ishikawa Yasuaki,
Yasueda Hisashi,
Uraoka Yukiharu,
Yamashita Ichiro
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201402514
Subject(s) - dye sensitized solar cell , nanocomposite , carbon nanotube , anatase , materials science , nanotechnology , electron transfer , chemical engineering , solar cell , nanotube , titanium dioxide , electrode , chemistry , photocatalysis , electrolyte , photochemistry , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , composite material , engineering , catalysis
We designed and mass‐produced a versatile protein supramolecule that can be used to manufacture a highly efficient dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Twelve single‐walled carbon‐nanotube (SWNT)‐binding and titanium‐mineralizing peptides were genetically integrated on a cage‐shaped dodecamer protein (CDT1). A process involving simple mixing of highly conductive SWNTs with CDT1 followed by TiO 2 biomineralization produces a high surface‐area/weight TiO 2 ‐(anatase)‐coated intact SWNT nanocomposite under environmentally friendly conditions. A DSSC with a TiO 2 photoelectrode containing 0.2 wt % of the SWNT–TiO 2 nanocomposite shows a current density improvement by 80 % and a doubling of the photoelectric conversion efficiency. The SWNT–TiO 2 nanocomposite transfers photon‐generated electrons from dye molecules adsorbed on the TiO 2 to the anode electrode swiftly.