Construction of a Semiconductor–Biological Interface for Solar Energy Conversion: p-Doped Silicon/Photosystem I/Zinc Oxide

The interface between photoactive biological materials with two distinct semiconducting electrodes is challenging both to develop and analyze. Building off of our previous work using films of photosystem I (PSI) on p-doped silicon, we have deposited a crystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) anode using confined-plume chemical deposition (CPCD). We demonstrate the ability of CPCD to deposit crystalline ZnO without damage to the PSI biomaterial. Using electrochemical techniques, we were able to probe this complex semiconductor–biological interface. Finally, as a proof of concept, a solid-state photovoltaic device consisting of p-doped silicon, PSI, ZnO, and ITO was constructed and evaluated.