Photocatalytic Removal of the Greenhouse Gas Nitrous Oxide by Liposomal Microreactors

Nitrous oxide (N(2)O) is a potent greenhouse and ozone‐reactive gas for which emissions are growing rapidly due to increasingly intensive agriculture. Synthetic catalysts for N(2)O decomposition typically contain precious metals and/or operate at elevated temperatures driving a desire for more sustainable alternatives. Here we demonstrate self‐assembly of liposomal microreactors enabling catalytic reduction of N(2)O to the climate neutral product N(2). Photoexcitation of graphitic N‐doped carbon dots delivers electrons to encapsulated N(2)O Reductase enzymes via a lipid‐soluble biomolecular wire provided by the MtrCAB protein complex. Within the microreactor, electron transfer from MtrCAB to N(2)O Reductase is facilitated by the general redox mediator methyl viologen. The liposomal microreactors use only earth‐abundant elements to catalyze N(2)O removal in ambient, aqueous conditions.