Model thylakoid-type bilayer structural changes at the electrode surface

Thylakoid membranes in chloroplasts are the hosts of a high density of light-harvesting proteins responsible for the first step of photosynthesis. In some bioelectronic devices that tap into the ability of plants to harvest solar energy, thylakoid membranes are extracted and deposited onto electrode surfaces to act as biological solar panels. These devices are currently limited by slow electron-transfer between the membrane and electrode, but optimising this process is non-trivial, and the underlying structure of the deposited membrane is unclear. Here, we aim to use neutron reflectometry to characterise model thylakoid membranes in situ and hence relate structural changes to overall quantum yield for this promising renewable energy technology.