Princeton – The conversion of light energy into chemical energy, the first step in photosynthesis, may rely on a different mechanism from the one previously assumed. This is the finding of a study published in Nature Communications, resulting from an international research collaboration involving the CNR Nano Institute (Cnr Nano), Princeton University, the University of L'Aquila and the Max Planck Institute. The new interpretation concerns primary charge separation, one of nature's fastest and most efficient processes and one that has been debated within the scientific community for decades. The research team, which includes Matteo Capone and Laura Zanetti-Polzi of Cnr Nano in Modena, used a fully computational approach, running simulations to reconstruct the process at the molecular level. The findings suggest that the different rates observed in primary charge separation may be caused by the continuous reorganization of the molecular environment, rather than by parallel reaction pathways, as previously believed. (9colonne)