ABSTRACT
The integration of novel nanomaterials with highly functional
biological molecules has numerous advanced applications, includ-
ing optoelectronics, biosensing, imaging, and energy harvesting.
This review summarizes recent progress in understanding the
mechanisms of energy transfer between semiconductor nanocrystal
(so-called quantum dots [QDs]) and photosensitive proteins in
heterostructures, such as hybrids of semiconductor nanocrystals
with purple membranes containing bacteriorhodopsin (bR) or
with photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs). Understanding of these
mechanisms should enable prediction of the possible ways to
improve the biological function of biomolecules by means of their
assembling with QDs and develop novel functional materials with
controlled photonic properties and applications. The possible mech-
anisms of energy transfer from QDs to photochromic biomolecules
are discussed and correlated with experimental data. The princi-
ples of hybrid structures engineering, donor/acceptor parameters
affecting both energy transfer efficiency and biological function,
and functionality of these hybrid structures are described. New
nanobiohybrid materials are shown to have advanced implications
for optoelectronics, photonics, and photovoltaics due to the ability of
nanocomponents of these materials for efficient energy harvesting,
conversion, and transfer of additional energy to Biosystems, thus
making them working more efficiently.
