Research report 2010 - Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion
Insight into Nature's fascinating power station: the water-splitting system of photosynthesis
Authors
Ames, W.; Pantazis, D. A.; Neese, F.
Departments
Max-Planck-Institut für bioanorganische Chemie, Mülheim an der Ruhr
Summary
The unique process of photosynthesis, which converts sunlight into storable chemical energy, sustains life on Earth. To understand how Nature achieves this feat is one of the greatest challenges for science – and of great importance for our future energy supply. Unfortunately even the structure of the water oxidase, one of the principal components of photosynthesis, has not yet been resolved unambiguously. By combining spectroscopy and quantum chemistry deep insight into this central process could be attained.