Speaker
Mr
Farooq Kyeyune
(University of Pretoria)
Description
Light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) is the main antenna complex in photosystem II (PSII) of plants and serves as a model for biological multichromophoric systems with great potential in biophotovoltaic applications. However, in these applications, the use of LHCII is limited by the relatively small portion (less than 1%) of solar energy that can be absorbed by a single protein monolayer. The absorption and emission properties of LHCII can be strongly enhanced when strategically positioned near metallic nanoparticles. Here, we report on the plasmonic fluorescence intensity enhancement of individual LHCII complexes coupled to single gold nanorods (AuNRs). The AuNR-LHCII hybrids were constructed via wet chemical synthesis combined with a spin-assisted layer-by-layer technique and characterized using single molecule spectroscopy. Strong plasmonic fluorescence enhancement of individual LHCII complexes of up to 670-fold was observed. In addition, a significant reduction in fluorescence lifetime, as revealed by time-resolved measurements, and increased photostability of individual pigments were observed. These results serve as a platform for constructing inexpensive yet efficient hybrid light-harvesting devices.
Supervisor details<br><b>If not a student, type N/A.</b><br>Student abstract submision<br>requires supervisor permission:<br>please give their name,<br> institution and email address.
Dr. Tjaart P. J. Krüger, University of Pretoria, tjaart.Kruger@up.ac.za
| Please confirm that you<br>have carefully read the<br>abstract submission instructions<br>under the menu item<br>"Call for Abstracts"<br><b>(Yes / No)</b> | Yes |
|---|---|
| Consideration for<br>student awards<br><b>Choose one option<br>from those below.</b><br>N/A<br>Hons<br>MSc<br>PhD | PhD |
Primary author
Mr
Farooq Kyeyune
(University of Pretoria)
Co-authors
Mr
Joshua Botha
(University of Pretoria)
Dr
Mmantsae Diale
(University of Pretoria)
Dr
Tjaart Krüger
(University of Pretoria)
