Sun-powered synthesis: harnessing multiwall carbon nanotube-EB photocatalytic magic in a unified photocatalytic-biocatalytic system for solar- driven L-glutamate production from ɑ-ketoglutarate

Artificial photosynthesis, which mimics the natural process used by plants, offers a promising strategy for harnessing solar energy to produce valuable fuels. One intriguing approach is the photocatalyst-enzyme attached system, where a photocatalyst captures light energy and transfers it to an enzyme to drive specific chemical reactions. This study describes the synthesis of a novel photocatalyst (MWCNTCEBr) formed by coupling multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with a dye ethidium bromide (EBr) via a condensation reaction. The resulting photocatalyst exhibits excellent charge separation and migration abilities, leading to enhanced photocatalytic activity. Notably, MWCNTCEBr photocatalyst successfully converts α-Ketoglutarate to L-Glutamate (81.9%) and photo-regeneration of NADH (76.20%) under the influence of solar radiation. Therefore, the study demonstrates the development and the application of MWCNTCEBr photocatalyst for impressive NADH regeneration and bio-transformation.