Photobioelectrochemistry: Solar Energy Conversion and Biofuel Production with Photosynthetic Catalysts

Photobioelectrochemical cells are devices which have been developed over the past few decades and use photosynthetic catalysts for solar energy conversion or biofuel production. In this paper, a critical review of reported photobioelectrochemical systems is presented. The systems discussed include several types of photobioelectrocatalysts: whole cells, organelles, and enzymes. Special attention is paid to power or product generation as well as immobilization and electron transfer strategies used. The issues that need to be addressed in order for such systems to compete with current technologies are also discussed.