Interaction of [FeFe]-Hydrogenases with Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are promising candidates for use in energy conversion devices as an active photo-collecting elements, for dissociation of bound excitons and charge-transfer from photo-excited chromophores, or as molecular wires to transport charge. Hydrogenases are enzymes that efficiently catalyze the reduction of protons from a variety of electron donors to produce molecular hydrogen. Hydrogenases together with SWNT suggest a novel biohybrid material for direct conversion of sunlight into H ₂. Here, we report changes in SWNT optical properties upon addition of recombinant [FeFe] hydrogenases from Clostridium acetobutylicum and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We find evidence that novel and stable charge-transfer complexes are formed under conditions of the hydrogenase catalytic turnover, providing spectroscopic handles for further study and application of this hybrid system.