Long-range energy propagation in nanometer arrays of light harvesting antenna complexes

Nano Lett. 2010 Apr 14;10(4):1450-7. doi: 10.1021/nl1003569.

Abstract

Here we report the first observation of long-range transport of excitation energy within a biomimetic molecular nanoarray constructed from LH2 antenna complexes from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Fluorescence microscopy of the emission of light after local excitation with a diffraction-limited light beam reveals long-range transport of excitation energy over micrometer distances, which is much larger than required in the parent bacterial system. The transport was established from the influence of active energy-guiding layers on the observed fluorescence emission. We speculate that such an extent of energy migration occurs as a result of efficient coupling between many hundreds of LH2 molecules. These results demonstrate the potential for long-range energy propagation in hybrid systems composed of natural light harvesting antenna molecules from photosynthetic organisms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomimetic Materials / chemistry
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / chemistry*
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Rhodobacter sphaeroides / chemistry
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Thermodynamics*

Substances

  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes