Modeling natural and artificial photosynthesis

Description and aim

A detailed understanding of how natural photosynthesis uses light to overcome the thermodynamic barriers for water oxidation and proton reduction can guide the development of photochemical devices for the capture and conversion of solar energy. Theory and molecular modeling play an increasingly important role in achieving this goal by (i) providing a complementary tool for the interpretation of experimental data and by (ii) predicting new materials / complexes with desired properties, e.g. new catalysts. This workshop will provide an opportunity for the groups actively working in this field to share the most recent progresses and to discuss the multiscale light-driven processes for energy transfer, charge separation and multi-electron catalysis in photosynthesis. The goal of this workshop is furthermore to bring together scientists working both on phenomenological or macroscopic theories and on microscopic models, which take explicitly into account the atomistic details of the system, in order to discuss strategies for modeling and designing artificial photosynthesis devices. Major topics covered in the workshop include light harvesting complexes & exciton dynamics, photo-induced charge separation, multi-electron catalysis, proton-coupled electron transfer, and design of artificial photosynthesis devices.