Paper Title
A Novel Perspective on Energy Conversion in Photosynthetic Biohybrid Systems

Abstract
Biohybrid systems attract significant interest for their ability to precisely and reliably mimic natural processes. Combining biological components with artificial materials, they enable complex and highly controlled processes, resulting in advanced energy conversion devices that outperform traditional technologies in performance and sustainability. These systems, merging biological processes with engineered elements, find applications in medicine, environmental remediation, and energy production. This fusion of living organisms and synthetic structures presents innovative solutions to complex challenges, fostering sustainable and efficient future technologies. Photosynthesis is a process that occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria and is the primary source of energy for life on earth. Researchers are exploring ways to enhance the absorption and utilization of sunlight by plants to improve crop yield. Recently, the application of metal nanoparticles (NPs) has garnered considerable interest in the fields of photobiology and photosynthesis, due to their ability to boost the production of electrons within the photosynthetic complex. This ability has the potential to enhance light energy absorption, transform light energy into chemical energy, and increase the rate of electron transport, oxygen evolution, and photophosphorylation. Metal NPs can absorb light across a broad range of UV, visible, and near-IR spectra wavelengths, which are not absorbed by chloroplast pigments. As a result, they can convert captured solar energy into excitons that may transfer electrons to the photosynthetic machinery, acting as plant growth enhancers. By artificially enhancing the range of light absorption/electron transfer rate, the photosynthesis machinery can be augmented without causing significant toxicity effects. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a series of experiments and biosafety assays using different NPs on Arachis hypogea. The results showed no significant toxicity on plant growth parameters at dosages up to 100 ppm. Additionally, all NPs were found to increase the electron flow rate in light-dependent photosynthetic reactions, as demonstrated by the Hill reaction and Ferricyanide and NADP reduction performed with extracted chloroplast. As this field continues to advance, it is expected that additional eco-friendly technologies will emerge in the future. As scientists are now harnessing the power of photosynthesis to develop environmentally friendly solutions for various applications, such as biofuel production and carbon capture and storage.