Alternative energy is more imperative than ever as we continue to exhaust nonrenewable resources. There is promise in artificial hydrogenases that produce hydrogen gas which can be an alternate source of clean, sustainable renewable energy. Moreover, artificial metalloenzymes were designed for solar H2 production using de novo designed metallopeptides. A computer-guided design approach was used to conceive the peptides. These peptides are 30 amino acids long and are designed to self-assemble into tetrameric structures. There are suitably positioned cysteine residues that bind the metal Co and form metallic clusters within these artificial proteins. The Co-metallopeptides were then characterized by employing spectroscopic techniques. They were found to have varying binding activity and optimal photocatalytic activity with 2 equivalents of Cobalt at pH 5 out of pH’s 4, 5, and 6.3
