My research focuses primarily on developing new architectures for solar fuel production using protein environments. These systems append native photosynthetic proteins with synthetic catalysts to produce hydrogen photocatalytically from water. In addition, I am investigating artificial photo sensitizer – protein – catalyst hybrid systems to produce hydrogen. I analyze electron transfer in these systems using a variety of spectroscopic and biophysical techniques including electron paramagnetic resonance, transient optical spectroscopy, and electro chemistry. I am interested in using proteins to study a variety of interesting challenges in energy, environmental, or health related fields.

Soltau, SR; Dahlberg, PD; Niklas, J; Poluektov,OG; Mulfort, KL; Utschig, LM. Ru-protein-Co biohybrids designed for solarhydrogen production: understanding electron transfer pathways related tophotocatalytic function. Chemical Science,2016, DOI: 10.1039/c6sc03121h.

Soltau, SR; Niklas, J;Dahlberg, PD; Tiede, DM; Poluektov, OG; Mulfort, KL; Utschig, LM. Aqueous light-driven hydrogen production by a Ru-Ferredoxin-Co biohybrid. Chemical Communications, 2015, 51,10628-31.

Utschig, LM; Soltau, SR; Tiede, DM. Light driven hydrogen production from photosystem-I catalyst hybrids. Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, 2015,25, 1-8.

Frey, ST; Guilmet,SL; Egan, RG; Bennett, A; Soltau,SR; Holz, RC.  Immobilization of the aminopeptidase from Aeromonas proteolytica on Mg²⁺/Al³⁺ layered double hydroxide particles.  ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2010, 2,2828-32.

Frey, MW; Frey, ST; Soltau, SR.  Exploring the pH dependence ofL-leucine-p-nitroanilide cleavage by amino peptidase aeromonas proteolytica: a combined buffer-enzyme kinetics experiment for the general chemistry laboratory.  Chemical Educator, 2010, 15, 117-20.