Plasmon-enhanced microalgal growth in miniphotobioreactors

Abstract

Photoactivity of green microalgae is nonmonotonic across the electromagnetic spectrum. Experiments on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (green alga) and Cyanothece 51142 (green-blue alga) show that wavelength specific backscattering in the blue region of the spectrum from Ag nanoparticles, caused by localized surface plasmon resonance, can promote algal growth by more than 30%. The wavelength and light flux of the backscattered field can be controlled by varying the geometric features and/or concentration of the nanoparticles.

Solar spectral conversion for improving the photosynthetic activity in algae reactors

“…Reactor designs reach from open ponds to km-long glass or plastic tubings to flat panels and are given significant attention 14 . As reactor designs become more efficient and applications more delicate, also light management within the reactor and at its surface becomes increasingly important 15 .…”

Effects of plasmonic film filters on microalgal growth and biomass composition

“…This technology is much more easily implemented, scalable, durable and safer compared to that based on nanoparticle suspensions [29]. Previous simulation results have demonstrated how plasmon resonance by spherical silver nanoparticles increases the available irradiance in microalgal culture [29]. By virtue of this, the plasmonic film would enhance photosynthetic activity.…”

“…Specifically, flexible polymeric films consisting of spherical silver nanoparticles were fabricated and used as filters that selectively enhance the irradiance of blue light in microalgal cultures. This technology is much more easily implemented, scalable, durable and safer compared to that based on nanoparticle suspensions [29]. Previous simulation results have demonstrated how plasmon resonance by spherical silver nanoparticles increases the available irradiance in microalgal culture [29].…”

“…Based on these facts, Wondraczek et al [30] developed a photoluminescence converter that enables conversion of undesired green light in the incident spectrum to desired red light by photoactive pigments. Our earlier work [29] has shown that localized surface plasmon resonance by metallic nanoparticles can effectively enhance light irradiance in microalgal cultures. Specifically, the use of a silver nanoparticle suspension, as a plasmonic filter that backscatters blue light into microalgal culture, was shown to result in an increase in photosynthetic growth by more than 30%, compared to a control without nanoparticle suspension.…”

Plasmonic nanogels with robustly tunable optical properties

“…7,8 Hence, complex shapes such as nanocages, nanoprisms and aggregates have a relatively broader extinction and scattering spectrum. 6,9 The tunability of plasmonic properties is highly desirable for many applications that rely on nanoscale light manipulation such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), 10 sensing, 11 imaging, 12 therapeutics, 13 photocatalysis, light harvesting 14,15 and optofluidics. 16,17 The strong interaction of metal NPs with the optical field also allows for light trapping that can be used for efficient photovoltaic design.…”