Bacteria photosensitized by CdS@Au@polymeric coatings for sustainable carbon dioxide fixation and bioplastic production

Yujing Jiang; Yifan Chai; Yuanfan Jiang; Shihao Tian; Ziliang Wang; Yue Cao; Jason Chun-Ho Lam; Jun-Jie Zhu; Richen Lin; Wenlei Zhu

doi:10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111115

Bacteria photosensitized by CdS@Au@polymeric coatings for sustainable carbon dioxide fixation and bioplastic production

Yujing Jiang (Co-first Author)
, Yifan Chai (Co-first Author)
, Yuanfan Jiang (Co-first Author)
, Shihao Tian
, Ziliang Wang
, Yue Cao
, Jason Chun-Ho Lam
, Jun-Jie Zhu
, Richen Lin^*
, Wenlei Zhu^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Energy and Environment

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The development of photosynthetic biological systems (PBSs) presents a promising approach to mitigating global climate change. However, the practical application of PBSs remains hindered by their low product yields. Key determinants of production efficiency include light utilization, electron transfer efficiency, and catalyst stability. To address these challenges, we developed a high-performance Cupriavidus necator/CdS@Au@Poly dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (C. necator/CdS@Au@PDDA) biohybrid system for the photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into bioplastic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). The incorporation of Au nanoclusters extends the visible light absorption range and alleviates photocorrosion of CdS, while the PDDA modification enhances electron transfer rates and enables the material to firmly adhere to the bacterial surface. In situ H₂ production by CdS@Au@PDDA drives CO₂ fixation through bacterial metabolic pathways, achieving a quantum efficiency of 2.76 % ± 0.22 % and a maximum PHB yield of 53.6 ± 5.2 mg/L, representing the highest yield reported for C. necator-based artificial PBSs. This biohybrid system demonstrates the effective integration of advanced nanomaterials with microbial processes, offering a robust platform for sustainable bioplastic production through carbon-neutral artificial photosynthesis technology and providing a novel perspective for addressing the global challenge of microplastic pollution. © 2026 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Original language	English
Article number	111115
Number of pages	7
Journal	Chinese Chemical Letters
Volume	37
Issue number	7
Online published	19 Mar 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111115
Publication status	Published - Jul 2026

Funding

W. Zhu and Y. Jiang would like to acknowledge the support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22176086), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities - Cemac “GeoX” Interdisciplinary Program (No. 021114380217), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Nos. 021114380222, 021114380214), Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling of Nanjing University (No. 2024QNXZ07), Research Funds for Jiangsu Distinguished Professor, Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Technological Innovation Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BE2022861), the Research Funds from Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling of Nanjing University and State Key laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse. R. Lin would like to acknowledge the support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52276177). Y. Jiang would like to acknowledge the support from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2024M761388), Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF (No. GZC20231105) and the Jiangsu Funding Program for Excellent Postdoctoral Talent (No. 2023ZB226).

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 13 Climate Action

Research Keywords

Hydrogen generation
Photocatalytic CO₂ conversion
Photosynthetic biological systems
Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)
Quantum efficiency

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10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111115

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@article{94fa5a37d9fc4f94b17be9a4506c0a58,

title = "Bacteria photosensitized by CdS@Au@polymeric coatings for sustainable carbon dioxide fixation and bioplastic production",

abstract = "The development of photosynthetic biological systems (PBSs) presents a promising approach to mitigating global climate change. However, the practical application of PBSs remains hindered by their low product yields. Key determinants of production efficiency include light utilization, electron transfer efficiency, and catalyst stability. To address these challenges, we developed a high-performance Cupriavidus necator/CdS@Au@Poly dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (C. necator/CdS@Au@PDDA) biohybrid system for the photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into bioplastic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). The incorporation of Au nanoclusters extends the visible light absorption range and alleviates photocorrosion of CdS, while the PDDA modification enhances electron transfer rates and enables the material to firmly adhere to the bacterial surface. In situ H2 production by CdS@Au@PDDA drives CO₂ fixation through bacterial metabolic pathways, achieving a quantum efficiency of 2.76 \% ± 0.22 \% and a maximum PHB yield of 53.6 ± 5.2 mg/L, representing the highest yield reported for C. necator-based artificial PBSs. This biohybrid system demonstrates the effective integration of advanced nanomaterials with microbial processes, offering a robust platform for sustainable bioplastic production through carbon-neutral artificial photosynthesis technology and providing a novel perspective for addressing the global challenge of microplastic pollution. {\textcopyright} 2026 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.",

keywords = "Hydrogen generation, Photocatalytic CO₂ conversion, Photosynthetic biological systems, Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), Quantum efficiency",

author = "Yujing Jiang and Yifan Chai and Yuanfan Jiang and Shihao Tian and Ziliang Wang and Yue Cao and Lam, \{Jason Chun-Ho\} and Jun-Jie Zhu and Richen Lin and Wenlei Zhu",

year = "2026",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111115",

language = "English",

volume = "37",

journal = "Chinese Chemical Letters",

issn = "1001-8417",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "7",

}

Bacteria photosensitized by CdS@Au@polymeric coatings for sustainable carbon dioxide fixation and bioplastic production. / Jiang, Yujing (Co-first Author); Chai, Yifan (Co-first Author); Jiang, Yuanfan (Co-first Author) et al.
In: Chinese Chemical Letters, Vol. 37, No. 7, 111115, 07.2026.

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Bacteria photosensitized by CdS@Au@polymeric coatings for sustainable carbon dioxide fixation and bioplastic production

AU - Jiang, Yujing

AU - Chai, Yifan

AU - Jiang, Yuanfan

AU - Tian, Shihao

AU - Wang, Ziliang

AU - Cao, Yue

AU - Lam, Jason Chun-Ho

AU - Zhu, Jun-Jie

AU - Lin, Richen

AU - Zhu, Wenlei

PY - 2026/7

Y1 - 2026/7

N2 - The development of photosynthetic biological systems (PBSs) presents a promising approach to mitigating global climate change. However, the practical application of PBSs remains hindered by their low product yields. Key determinants of production efficiency include light utilization, electron transfer efficiency, and catalyst stability. To address these challenges, we developed a high-performance Cupriavidus necator/CdS@Au@Poly dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (C. necator/CdS@Au@PDDA) biohybrid system for the photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into bioplastic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). The incorporation of Au nanoclusters extends the visible light absorption range and alleviates photocorrosion of CdS, while the PDDA modification enhances electron transfer rates and enables the material to firmly adhere to the bacterial surface. In situ H2 production by CdS@Au@PDDA drives CO₂ fixation through bacterial metabolic pathways, achieving a quantum efficiency of 2.76 % ± 0.22 % and a maximum PHB yield of 53.6 ± 5.2 mg/L, representing the highest yield reported for C. necator-based artificial PBSs. This biohybrid system demonstrates the effective integration of advanced nanomaterials with microbial processes, offering a robust platform for sustainable bioplastic production through carbon-neutral artificial photosynthesis technology and providing a novel perspective for addressing the global challenge of microplastic pollution. © 2026 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

AB - The development of photosynthetic biological systems (PBSs) presents a promising approach to mitigating global climate change. However, the practical application of PBSs remains hindered by their low product yields. Key determinants of production efficiency include light utilization, electron transfer efficiency, and catalyst stability. To address these challenges, we developed a high-performance Cupriavidus necator/CdS@Au@Poly dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (C. necator/CdS@Au@PDDA) biohybrid system for the photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into bioplastic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). The incorporation of Au nanoclusters extends the visible light absorption range and alleviates photocorrosion of CdS, while the PDDA modification enhances electron transfer rates and enables the material to firmly adhere to the bacterial surface. In situ H2 production by CdS@Au@PDDA drives CO₂ fixation through bacterial metabolic pathways, achieving a quantum efficiency of 2.76 % ± 0.22 % and a maximum PHB yield of 53.6 ± 5.2 mg/L, representing the highest yield reported for C. necator-based artificial PBSs. This biohybrid system demonstrates the effective integration of advanced nanomaterials with microbial processes, offering a robust platform for sustainable bioplastic production through carbon-neutral artificial photosynthesis technology and providing a novel perspective for addressing the global challenge of microplastic pollution. © 2026 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

KW - Hydrogen generation

KW - Photocatalytic CO₂ conversion

KW - Photosynthetic biological systems

KW - Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)

KW - Quantum efficiency

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105036420378&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105036420378&origin=recordpage

U2 - 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111115

DO - 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111115

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

SN - 1001-8417

VL - 37

JO - Chinese Chemical Letters

JF - Chinese Chemical Letters

IS - 7

M1 - 111115

ER -

Bacteria photosensitized by CdS@Au@polymeric coatings for sustainable carbon dioxide fixation and bioplastic production

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Research Keywords

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