Abstract
Photosynthesis is the natural process that converts solar photons into energy-rich products that are needed to drive the biochemistry of life. Two ultrafast processes form the basis of photosynthesis: excitation energy transfer and charge separation. Under optimal conditions, every photon that is absorbed is used by the photosynthetic organism. Fundamental quantum mechanics phenomena, including delocalization, underlie the speed, efficiency and directionality of the charge-separation process. At least four design principles are active in natural photosynthesis, and these can be applied practically to stimulate the development of bio-inspired, human-made energy conversion systems.
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Acknowledgements
E.R. and R.v.G. were supported by: the VU University Amsterdam; the Laserlab-Europe consortium; TOP grant 700.58.305 from the Foundation of Chemical Sciences, part of Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO); European Research Council Advanced Grant 267333 (PHOTPROT); and the European Union FP7 project PAPETS (grant agreement 323901). R.v.G. gratefully acknowledges his Academy Professorship from the Netherlands Royal Academy of Sciences and was also supported by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. V.I.N. was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant number 15-04-02136) and by an NWO visitor grant.
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Romero, E., Novoderezhkin, V. & van Grondelle, R. Quantum design of photosynthesis for bio-inspired solar-energy conversion. Nature 543, 355–365 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22012
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22012
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