Harnessing Near‐Infrared Light for Enhanced Solar Hydrogen Production from <i>Escherichia coli</i> Interfaced with Biocompatible Low‐Bandgap Conjugated Polymer Nanosheets

Abstract

AbstractThe efficient conversion of solar energy into clean hydrogen fuel presents a promising pathway for sustainable energy production. However, utilizing the full solar spectrum, particularly the near‐infrared (NIR) region, remains underexplored in photosynthetic biohybrid systems. In this study, biocompatible, low‐bandgap conjugated polymer nanosheets (PyTT‐tBAL‐HAB) are developed to integrate with non‐photosynthetic, non‐genetically engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) for enhanced solar‐driven biological hydrogen production. The PyTT‐tBAL‐HAB nanosheets exhibit unique NIR light absorption properties. Integrating these nanosheets with E. coli facilitates efficient electron transfer, resulting in a 1.96‐fold increase in hydrogen production rate under NIR light. Consequently, this photosynthetic biohybrid system achieves a quantum efficiency of 18.36% at 940 nm. This study demonstrates the potential of using low‐bandgap conjugated polymer nanosheets as advanced photosensitizers in semi‐artificial photosynthetic systems, offering a robust platform for the effective utilization of the solar spectrum.