Chem
ArticleVibronic Enhancement of Algae Light Harvesting
The Bigger Picture
Light harvesting is the crucial first step in photosynthesis and operates at extraordinary efficiencies granted by the specific molecular architectures of antenna proteins. Cryptophyte algae utilize antennas with pigments that absorb in the middle of the solar spectrum, where plants and most algae lack absorptions, allowing them survival flexibility in a green world. This advantage comes at a cost because the absorbed energy must be down-converted and made compatible with chlorophyll complexes, where charge separation finally occurs. Even so, cryptophyte antennas can prepare an excitation for transfer in under a picosecond. In this work, the occurrence of coherence between two remote pigments in a cryptophyte antenna is found to be linked through a vibrational resonance, transiently delocalizing the excitation and modifying energy transfer. This vibronic interaction unveils a molecular design principle probably utilized by cryptophytes to enhance transfer efficiency.
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UN Sustainable Development Goals
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