Electrons travel long distances during photosynthesis The transport of electrons along photosynthetic and respiratory chains involves a series of enzymatic reactions that are coupled through redox mediators, including proteins and small molecules. The use of natural and synthetic redox probes is key to understanding charge transport mechanisms and to design bioelectronic sensors and solar energy conversion devices. We have used the metal probe of an electrochemical scanning tunneling microscope as a nanometric redox mediator to study electron transport in individual photosynthetic complexes. Current–distance measurements in solution show evidence of long-distance transport that is regulated by the biologically relevant redox conditions.
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