http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.

gov/pmc/articles/PMC2891097/
Need for artificial photosynthesis:
The consequences of fossil fuel dependence could be avoided by fuel-producing
artificial systems that mimic natural photosynthesis, directly converting solar
energy to fuel. The three key components of solar energy conversion in
photosynthesis: light harvesting, charge separation, and catalysis. In Nature,
light absorption by antenna complexes is followed by efficient charge separation
across a membrane via photosynthetic reaction centre proteins (RCs). Each
antenna complex performs the function of harvesting light energy in the form of
coherent excited-state superposition referred to as excitons.
Photoinduced charge transfer:
Exciton energy present in the antenna system is directed to a RC to convert light
energy into chemical energy (the RC can also absorb light directly). The goal of
the RC is to quickly produce a stable charge separation with minimal wasteful
back reactions. A high quantum efficiency can be obtained when all absorbed
photons result in a long-lived charge separation.
IN natural :
Antenna systems are capable of collecting light and transferring energy in an
efficient and direct way. When a RC is coupled to an antenna array, a large
number of antenna chromophores surrounding the RC absorb incident photons.
The resulting excited states then transfer electronic energy to the RC before
undergoing radiative or nonradiative deactivation. Highly branched, treelike
dendrimers have been widely employed as antenna systems.
Exciton transfer: Via Forster and Dexter transfer mechanisms. The two
chromophores should have similar energies. Exciton transfer is only possible
when two excited states are resonant with each other. Antenna systems are
usually thought of as energy funnels, capturing high energy photons as excitons
and funnelling them toward a RC, down an energy gradient, presumably to avoid
back reactions.
excitons are calculated to be trapped within picoseconds of absorption on
average.
RCs are universally transmembrane proteins. store chemical potential as a
proton gradient across that membrane. Charge separation has to be large for
slower electron and proton transfer to occur.