Light-Driven Chemical Production with Quantum Dot-Biohybrid System: A Review

Abstract

The synthesis of compounds via conventional thermochemical methods necessitates reactions at high temperatures and pressures, which results in significant energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, the fabrication of compounds with intricate structures frequently faces obstacles in attaining high levels of purity. These challenges associated with chemical synthesis could potentially be supplanted by biological synthesis methods, which operate under benign conditions and exhibit exceptional selectivity. Nonetheless, a primary limitation of biological chemical synthesis is its inherently low productivity, rendering it less competitive relative to chemical methodologies and difficult to implement in actual industrial settings. To overcome these obstacles, extensive research is being undertaken to develop quantum dot-biohybrid (QD-biohybrid) systems. Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals capable of absorbing light and generating photo-excited electrons, making them suitable as photosensitizers. Upon light irradiation of the QD-biohybrid system, the quantum dots within the hybrid structure absorb the light, and the resulting photo-excited electrons are transferred to enzymes, thereby enhancing biochemical productivity. This review highlights the progress in the field where various inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) are combined with microorganisms or enzymes within hybrid structures, focusing on their efficacy in synthesizing a range of compounds. This review will explore analytical techniques that elucidate these systems’ construction and operational mechanisms to establish a scientific foundation for further investigation. The challenges this innovative chemical synthesis platform faces are delineated, particularly the degradation of the biosystems, and ongoing strategies to mitigate these issues are discussed. Ultimately, the scalability of the QD-biohybrid system for practical industrial applications will be assessed.

Keywords

• Quantum dot
• Inorganic nanoparticle
• Photocatalyst
• Semi-artificial photosynthetic system
• Quantum dot-biohybrid system