BIOHYBRID SOL-GEL MATERIALS FOR RENEWABLE FUEL AND ENERGY PRODUCTION.

Hydrogen fuel has become a popular option for a future fuel source to replace dwindling natural resources. Despite this push, the bulk of today's hydrogen fuel is still produced from fossil fuels, tethering production to non-renewable sources and further release of greenhouse gases. The use of photocatalytic semiconductors for solar-driven water-splitting offers a clean solution to hydrogen fuel production. Titanium dioxide sensitized to visible light represents a simple and promising system for application in hydrogen fuel production as well as for the generation of energy in photovoltaics. Sol-gel synthesis methods allow for the development of titanium dioxide with highly tunable properties while providing a simple method for inclusion of sensitizing agents without the use of additional fixing agents or lengthy adsorption stages. Rather than using conventional dyes to sensitize the titanium dioxide for visible light photocatalysis, the creation of a biohybrid material through the encapsulation of proteins enables us to take advantage of the natural functionality of such proteins to further improve on the photoactivity of titanium dioxide. By harnessing naturally occurring proteins from our environment and sol-gel chemistry, we are capable of fabricating novel materials in order to address the mounting need for clean, renewable fuel and energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]