MIT Researchers integrated a protein complex derived from spinach chloroplasts with organic semiconductors to make a solar cell that could be combined with solid state electronics.

Previous efforts to integrate the energy harnessing capability of chlorophyll with conventional electronics have failed because it normally requires a watery environment in which to work. Here researchers artificially stabilized the protein complex at the heart of their system using synthetic peptides to bind small amounts of water to it, within a sealed unit.

The current system is limited because the peptides only keep the protein complex stable for about three weeks and the cells convert only 12% of light to electrical charge.