M13 bacteriophage-enabled assembly of nanocomposites : synthesis and application in energy conversion devices

Abstract

Lack of energy supply and non-uniform distribution of traditional energy sources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, have brought up tremendous social issues. To solve these issues, highly efficient energy conversion devices including solar cells, water splitting cells, and lithium-ion batteries are required. In this thesis, by utilizing the biological scaffolds of M13 bacteriophage, nanocomposites with novel nanostructures and various functional nanomaterials have been synthesized, assembled, and fabricated into devices. Using excellent properties from each functional material in the nanocomposites, performance of the energy conversion devices has been improved. Specifically, in dye-sensitized solar cells, the electron collection efficiency is improved by the complex of the viruses and single-walled carbon nanotubes. The light harvesting efficiency is also improved by localized surface plasmon-enhanced photo-absorption of dye-molecules, with and without adding viruses into the titania photoanodes of dye-sensitized solar cells. In addition, virus-graphene complex is utilized to enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries, by increasing the electron conductivity throughout the cathode active materials. Moreover, two types of virus-templated perovskite ternary metal oxide materials (strontium titanate and bismuth ferrite) are synthesized and demonstrated for photocatalytic and photovoltaic properties.