ABSTRACT
Artificial photosynthesis--> (AP) includes the design and synthesis of molecular systems that manifest selected aspects of the natural photosynthetic process. The essential photochemistry of these synthetic systems follows from that of their natural counterparts: absorption of sunlight, energy transfer, regulation of energy flow, protection from photodamage, and conversion of excited states to redox potential. Also, AP includes catalysis and ultimately self-repair and replication. Following the example from nature, the goal of AP is to assemble molecular systems into larger-scale constructs capable of storing a fraction of the energy carried by sunlight in energy-rich compounds. In this chapter, we review a selection of the AP constructs developed in our laboratories that mimic many of the photochemical steps that occur in the natural photosynthetic antenna systems. Reviews of our work in AP reaction centers, proton pumps, water oxidation, and proton reduction have been published elsewhere.
