Chiral Magneto-Electrochemistry

Abstract

Magneto-electrochemistry (MEC) is a unique paradigm in science, where electrochemical experiments are carried out as a function of an applied magnetic field, creating a new horizon of potential scientific interest and technological applications. Over time, detailed understanding of this research domain was developed to identify and rationalize the possible effects exerted by a magnetic field on the various microscopic processes occurring in an electrochemical system. Notably, until a few years ago, the role of spin was not taken into account in the field of magneto-electrochemistry. Remarkably, recent experimental studies reveal that electron transmission through chiral molecules is spin selective and this effect has been referred to as the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. Spin-dependent electrochemistry originates from the implementation of the CISS effect in electrochemistry, where the magnetic field is used to obtain spin-polarized currents (using ferromagnetic electrodes) or, conversely, a magnetic field is obtained as the result of spin accumulation.