Theoretical study of spin chemistry applied to photosynthetic organisms for their eventual use as an energy source

For many years the consumption of fossil fuels, as the main source of energy, has released large amounts of greenhouse gases, which has generated significant changes in climate conditions and a constant search for alternative energy sources. The simulation of photosynthetic processes through the use and exploitation of biological organisms is a viable option for obtaining energy. However, in the development of these technologies, the contribution that spin chemistry can provide in the understanding and optimization of artificial photosynthesis has been omitted. Thanks to the study of the technique known as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) it is possible to evaluate the role that spin chemistry has in the development of photosynthetic processes. Through an exhaustive literature review of primary and secondary sources, supported by interviews with international experts, an analysis of the role of spin chemistry in a number of organisms that perform the process of photosynthesis has been performed. By analyzing several solid-state NMR spectra of the reaction centers of chloroplasts in certain plants and bacteria-which have been exposed to continuous illumination- significant electronic densities have been found at specific molecular sites. This information, together with an analysis of a series of projects in which prototypes have been developed to obtain energy through artificial photosynthesis, allows us to conclude that it is necessary (and justified) to consider the chemistry of spines as a key actor for the optimization of the processes and studies in artificial photosynthesis and, therefore, vital in a process of obtaining energy. (author)