Powering the Future: Unveiling the Secrets of Semiconductor Biointerfaces in Biohybrids for Semiartificial Photosynthesis

Developing technology for sustainable chemical and fuel production is a key focus of scientific research. Semiartificial photosynthesis is a promising approach, pairing “electric microbes” with artificial light absorbers (semiconductors) to convert N2, CO2, and water into value-added products using sunlight. Mimicking natural photosynthesis is done with semiconductors acting as electron donors or sinks for microbes. This method enables the production of multicarbon (C2+) chemicals (e.g., ethanol and caproic acid) and ammonia with high efficiency and selectivity. Despite significant progress, commercial-scale applications remain elusive due to fundamental challenges. This Review covers advances in semiartificial photosynthesis and highlights that there is no clear mechanistic understanding underpinning the production of chemicals using the combination of light, semiconductors, and microbes. Does the mechanism rely on H2 uptake, do the microbes eat electrons directly from the light absorbers, or is it a combination of both? It focuses on overcoming bottlenecks using advanced spectroscopy, microscopy, and synthetic biology tools to study charge transfer kinetics between microbial cell membranes and semiconductors. Understanding this interaction is crucial for increasing solar-to-chemical (STC) efficiencies, necessary for industrial use. This Review also outlines future research directions and techniques to advance this field, aiming to achieve net-zero climate goals through multidisciplinary efforts.