Photoinduced Hydrogen Production with the Carotenoid-Chlorophyll Immobilized Micelle as an Artificial Photosynthesis Protein

  • Yutaka Amao, Department of Applied Chemistry, Oita University, Japan
  • Yuko Maki, Department of Applied Chemistry, Oita University, Japan
  • Yoshiko Fuchino, Department of Applied Chemistry, Oita University, Japan
  • Light-harvesting site in photosynthesis protein consists of Mg chlorophyll-a, b (MgChl-a, b) and carotenoid dye such as β-carotene. MgChl-a and b play an important role in photosynthesis such as light harvesting, the photoinducued electron transfer and so on. On the other hand, carotenoid dyes also have important functions such as the absorption of UV light, photo-protection of MgChl-a and b, and photosynthesis protein. In photosyhthesis protein, MgChl-a, b and carotenoid dyes are assembled via the hydrogen bond, hydrophobic interaction and coordination bond, not covalently. Thus, MgChl-a, b and carotenoid dyes can be assembled using hydrophobic interaction of surfactant micellar as photosynthesis protein mimetics. In this work, artificial photosynthesis system, anionic water-soluble carotenoid dye crocetin electrostatically immobilised onto the surface of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) micellar including MgChl-a and b, is prepared and applied to the photoinduced hydrogen production system with platinum colloid catalyst.