Engineering Excitonic and Charge-Transfer States in Bio-Inspired Chromophore-Protein Assemblies

Photosynthesis, a vital process for life on Earth, converts solar energy into chemical energy through pigment-protein complexes. Understanding the intricate interplay between exciton delocalization and charge transfer (CT) states within these complexes is crucial for developing bioinspired solar energy conversion devices. Photosynthetic charge separation involves structural, electronic, and vibrational factors, and insights from Photosystem II have revealed key design principles for efficient artificial systems: mixing of excitons and CT states, resonant vibrations, a smart protein matrix, and a balance between coherence and decoherence. English This thesis explores the development of artificial systems using de novo designed protein scaffolds to manipulate chromophore properties. Efficient excitonic and CT states require careful chromophore arrangement and interplay with protein matrices. The study presents a systematic approach to develop chromophore-protein assemblies for artificial photosynthesis, utilizing Zinc-pheophorbide-a and maquette proteins.