A synthetic protein plug for assembly of bio-nano-hybrids with direct electron transfer powered photobiocatalysis.

A "plug-and-play" biohybrid assembly strategy was established by reprogramming cell membrane proteins into "synthetic protein plugs". This approach covalently confined carbon dots onto Shewanella oneidensis within the optimal electron tunneling regime, thereby achieving efficient direct electron transfer to empower an 81.3-fold enhancement in photocatalytic H2 production.