Date/Time Date(s) - 24/09/202510:30 am - 11:30 am
BSB 108
Dr. Divya Matta
Assistant Professor Brock University
Profile: https://brocku.ca/mathematics-science/chemistry/divya-matta/
TITLE: From Photons to Fuels: Visible and Far-Red Photosynthesis as a Blueprint for Catalysis
ABSTRACT:
Photosynthetic reaction centers are nanoscale power converters that turn absorbed photons into directional electron-and-proton motion with remarkable speed and selectivity. I will begin with a brief introduction to photosynthesis and then present recent advances spanning the visible and farred regions, focusing on how proteins tune pigment energetics, hydrogen-bond networks, and local electrostatics to keep proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) efficient. Using multiscale computation, classical molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo sampling to map water/O2/proton pathways, together with electronic-structure (DFT) and hybrid QM/MM calculations to quantify site energies, couplings, and reorganization, the results could yield “design rules” for fast, oneway charge flow. Far-red absorbing reaction centers serve as natural stress tests: modest shifts in pigment chemistry and local fields reshape driving forces and rewire proton relays while sustaining robust photochemistry under lower-energy light. These mechanistic insights translate directly to artificial catalysis and biohybrid assemblies for solar fuels and sustainable bioenergy. The emphasis is on broadly useful ideas in charge transport, catalysis, and materials design.