| This dissertation details the synthesis of photovoltaic molecules and materials that can be arrayed onto a self-assembling protein scaffold - Tobacco Mosaic Virus - through bioconjugation to the protein side-chains. The periodic display of functionality on the assembled capsid provides a well-defined scaffold for material construction. The goal of incorporating these two disparate components is to generate more efficient external quantum efficiency in the resulting photovoltiac material.;The external quantum efficiency etaEQE is a function of four individual efficiencies, each of which can be optimized as a result of building the photovoltaic material out of the protein structure. In other work in the Francis group, etaA, the absorption efficiency, was optimized by the assembly of highly efficient light-harvesting systems. In this work, etaED, the exciton diffusion distance, was maximized by assembling the electron transfer complex directly adjacent to the light-harvesting system. The charge transfer efficiency, etaCT, can be optimized by electronically pairing the synthetic complex with the conductor. In this work, phthalocyanines were chosen to pair with carbon nanotubes. Finally, the charge collection efficiency, etaCC, is enhanced by the choice of conductor. Here, both Alq3 and carbon nanotubes were assembled into a linear array along the viral capsid, making a highly efficient path for electron transport. |
