Temperature Dependence of Charge and Spin Transfer in Azurin

Chirality-Induced Magnetic Polarization by Charge Localization in a Chiral Supramolecular Crystal

The chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect is a fascinating phenomenon that correlates the molecular structure with electron spin-polarization (SP). Experimental procedures to quantify the spin-filtering magnitude have extensively used magnetic-field-dependent conductive AFM. In this work chiral crystals of imide-substituted coronene bisimide ((S)-CBI-GCH) are studied to explain the dynamics of the current-voltage I - V spectra and the origin of superimposed peaks are investigated. A dynamic voltage-sweep rate-dependent phenomenon can give rise to complex I - V curves. The redox group, capable of localization of charge, acts as a localized state that interferes with the continuum of the π - π stacking, giving rise to Fano resonances. A novel mechanism for dynamic transport is introduced, which provides insight into the origin of spin-polarized charge in crystallized CBI-GCH molecules after absorption on a metallic substrate, guided by transient charge polarization. Crucially, interference between charge localization and delocalization during transport may be important properties in understanding the magnetochiral phenomena observed by electrostatic force microscopy. Finally, it is observed that charge trapping sensitively modifies the injection barrier from direct tunneling to Fowler-Nordheim tunneling transport supporting nonlinearity in CISS for this class of molecules.

Chiral Effect on the Electrochemistry of Magnetic Ferrite Colloidal Nanocrystal Assembly Modified by Amino Acids

Chirality on the molecular or nanometer scale is particularly significant in chemistry, materials science, and biomedicine. Chiral electrochemical reactions on solid surfaces are currently a hot research topic. Herein, a chiral solid surface is constructed in aqueous solutions by mixing chiral molecules, d- and l-glutamic, with γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and MnFe2O4 colloidal nanocrystal assembly (CNA). Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry measurements are conducted in a phosphate buffer solution (PBS) containing ascorbic acid (AA) or isoascorbic acid (IAA), and a chiral effect appears on the electroreduction of ferric ions of amino acid-modified magnetic samples. A negative or positive potential shift is observed, respectively, for magnetic structures modified by l- and d-glutamic acid in aqueous AA electrolyte, while the opposite is observed for these samples in IAA electrolyte. The reduction peak current increases by 0.8-1.2 times for the electrodes modified with l- and d-glutamate molecules, improving the electron transport efficiency. The chiral effect is absent when the electrolytes contain achiral uric acid or dopamine, or even chiral l-/d-/ld-tartaric acid. The chiral recognition between d-/l-glutamic acid and AA/IAA at the electrochemical interface is suggested to be related to their spinal configurations. These observations will be helpful for the rational design of inorganic functional chiral micro/nanostructures.

Coherent spin transport in a copper protein

CONTEXT

The coherent electron/spin transport in azurin, a species of copper protein, was calculated based on the Landauer model. The research is motivated by the fast electron transport and spin selectivity/polarization in azurin, which have been reported in relation to the chiral-induced spin selectivity of the peptide structure. The calculated spin polarization of copper proteins was large. This phenomenon was strongly influenced by the spin density of the atoms in the ligand group, whereas the contribution of copper was negligible. The results suggest that spin polarization in copper proteins is enhanced by that of the ligand groups. The predicted spin polarization aligns primarily with the scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction technique to study the electronic properties of single-molecule junctions.

METHODS

Computational techniques employed in this study are nonequilibrium Green's functions (NEGF) and density functional theory (DFT) based on the Landauer model, implemented using the QuantumATK software (Synopsys Inc.). The Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange-correlation functional was adopted for spin-polarized generalized gradient approximation (SGGA). The valence atomic orbitals were constructed using the wavefunctions of the SIESTA package, which was based on the norm-conserving Troullier-Martins relativistic pseudopotentials for describing core electrons. The mesh used for real-space integration was 150 Ha.

Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity

Since the initial landmark study on the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect in 1999, considerable experimental and theoretical efforts have been made to understand the physical underpinnings and mechanistic features of this interesting phenomenon. As first formulated, the CISS effect refers to the innate ability of chiral materials to act as spin filters for electron transport; however, more recent experiments demonstrate that displacement currents arising from charge polarization of chiral molecules lead to spin polarization without the need for net charge flow. With its identification of a fundamental connection between chiral symmetry and electron spin in molecules and materials, CISS promises profound and ubiquitous implications for existing technologies and new approaches to answering age old questions, such as the homochiral nature of life. This review begins with a discussion of the different methods for measuring CISS and then provides a comprehensive overview of molecules and materials known to exhibit CISS-based phenomena before proceeding to identify structure-property relations and to delineate the leading theoretical models for the CISS effect. Next, it identifies some implications of CISS in physics, chemistry, and biology. The discussion ends with a critical assessment of the CISS field and some comments on its future outlook.

Efficient Electron Hopping Transport through Azurin-Based Junctions

We conducted a theoretical study of electron transport through junctions of the blue-copper azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We found that single-site hopping can lead to either higher or lower current values compared to fully coherent transport. This depends on the structural details of the junctions as well as the alignment of the protein orbitals. Moreover, we show how the asymmetry of the IV curves can be affected by the position of the tip in the junction and that, under specific conditions, such a hopping mechanism is consistent with a fairly low temperature dependence of the current. Finally, we show that increasing the number of hopping sites leads to higher hopping currents. Our findings, from fully quantum calculations, provide deep insight to help guide the interpretation of experimental IV curves on highly complex systems.

Does Coherence Affect the Multielectron Oxygen Reduction Reaction?

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the key for oxygen-based respiration and the operation of fuel cells. It involves the transmission of two pairs of electrons. We probed what type of interaction between the electrons is required to enable their efficient transfer into the oxygen. We show experimentally that the transfer of the electrons is controlled by the "hidden property" and present a theoretical model suggesting that it is related to coherent phase relations between the two electrons. Using spin polarization electrochemical measurements, with electrodes coated with different thicknesses of chiral coating, we confirm the special relation between the electrons. This relation is destroyed by multiple scattering events that result in the formation of hydrogen peroxide, which indicates a reduction in the ORR efficiency. Another indication for the possible role of coherence is the fluctuations in the reaction efficiency as a function of thickness of the chiral coated electrode.

Temperature activated chiral induced spin selectivity

Recent experiments performed on chiral molecules, comprising transition metal or rare earth elements, indicate temperature reinforced chiral induced spin selectivity. In these compounds, spin selectivity is suppressed in the low temperature regime but grows by one to several orders of magnitude as the temperature is increased to room temperature. By relating temperature to nuclear motion, it is proposed that nuclear displacements acting on the local spin moments, through indirect exchange interactions, generate an anisotropic magnetic environment that is enhanced with temperature. The induced local anisotropy field serves as the origin of a strongly increased spin selectivity at elevated temperature.

Chiral-induced spin selectivity in biomolecules, hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites and inorganic materials: a comprehensive review on recent progress

The two spin states of electrons are degenerate in nonmagnetic materials. The chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect provides a new strategy for manipulating electron's spin and a deeper understanding of spin selective processes in organisms. Here, we summarize the important discoveries and recent experiments performed during the development of the CISS effect, analyze the spin polarized transport in various types of materials and discuss the mechanisms, theoretical calculations, experimental techniques and biological significance of the CISS effect. The first part of this review concisely presents a general overview of the discoveries and importance of the CISS effect, laws and underlying mechanisms of which are discussed in the next section, where several classical experimental methods for detecting the CISS effect are also introduced. Based on the organic and inorganic properties of materials, the CISS effect of organic biomolecules, hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites and inorganic materials are reviewed in the third, fourth and fifth sections, especially the chiral transfer mechanism of hybrid materials and the relationship between the CISS effect and life science. In addition, conclusions and prospective future of the CISS effect are outlined at the end, where the development and applications of the CISS effect in spintronics are directly described, which is helpful for designing promising chiral spintronic devices and understanding the natural status of chirality from a new perspective.

Vibrationally Induced Magnetism in Supramolecular Aggregates

Magnetic phenomena in chemistry and condensed matter physics are considered to be associated with low temperatures. That a magnetic state or order is stable below a critical temperature as well as becoming stronger the lower the temperature is a nearly unquestioned paradigm. It is, therefore, surprising that recent experimental observations made on supramolecular aggregates suggest that, for instance, the magnetic coercivity may increase with an increasing temperature and the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect may be enhanced. Here, a mechanism for vibrationally stabilized magnetism is proposed, and a theoretical model is introduced with which the qualitative aspects of the recent experimental findings can be explained. It is argued that anharmonic vibrations, which become increasingly occupied with an increasing temperature, enable nuclear vibrations to both stabilize and sustain magnetic states. The theoretical proposal, hence, pertains to structures without inversion and/or reflection symmetries, for instance, chiral molecules and crystals.

Living electronics: A catalogue of engineered living electronic components

Biology leverages a range of electrical phenomena to extract and store energy, control molecular reactions and enable multicellular communication. Microbes, in particular, have evolved genetically encoded machinery enabling them to utilize the abundant redox-active molecules and minerals available on Earth, which in turn drive global-scale biogeochemical cycles. Recently, the microbial machinery enabling these redox reactions have been leveraged for interfacing cells and biomolecules with electrical circuits for biotechnological applications. Synthetic biology is allowing for the use of these machinery as components of engineered living materials with tuneable electrical properties. Herein, we review the state of such living electronic components including wires, capacitors, transistors, diodes, optoelectronic components, spin filters, sensors, logic processors, bioactuators, information storage media and methods for assembling these components into living electronic circuits.

Diamond surface engineering for molecular sensing with nitrogen-vacancy centers

Quantum sensing using optically addressable atomic-scale defects, such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond, provides new opportunities for sensitive and highly localized characterization of chemical functionality. Notably, near-surface defects facilitate detection of the minute magnetic fields generated by nuclear or electron spins outside of the diamond crystal, such as those in chemisorbed and physisorbed molecules. However, the promise of NV centers is hindered by a severe degradation of critical sensor properties, namely charge stability and spin coherence, near surfaces (< ca. 10 nm deep). Moreover, applications in the chemical sciences require methods for covalent bonding of target molecules to diamond with robust control over density, orientation, and binding configuration. This forward-looking Review provides a survey of the rapidly converging fields of diamond surface science and NV-center physics, highlighting their combined potential for quantum sensing of molecules. We outline the diamond surface properties that are advantageous for NV-sensing applications, and discuss strategies to mitigate deleterious effects while simultaneously providing avenues for chemical attachment. Finally, we present an outlook on emerging applications in which the unprecedented sensitivity and spatial resolution of NV-based sensing could provide unique insight into chemically functionalized surfaces at the single-molecule level.

Control of protein activity by photoinduced spin polarized charge reorganization

Considerable electric fields are present within living cells, and the role of bioelectricity has been well established at the organismal level. Yet much remains to be learned about electric-field effects on protein function. Here, we use phototriggered charge injection from a site-specifically attached ruthenium photosensitizer to directly demonstrate the effect of dynamic charge redistribution within a protein. We find that binding of an antibody to phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) is increased twofold under illumination. Remarkably, illumination is found to suppress the enzymatic activity of PGK by a factor as large as three. These responses are sensitive to the photosensitizer position on the protein. Surprisingly, left (but not right) circularly polarized light elicits these responses, indicating that the electrons involved in the observed dynamics are spin polarized, due to spin filtration by protein chiral structures. Our results directly establish the contribution of electrical polarization as an allosteric signal within proteins. Future experiments with phototriggered charge injection will allow delineation of charge rearrangement pathways within proteins and will further depict their effects on protein function.

Tailoring the Time-Averaged Structure for Polarization-Sensitive Chiral Perovskites

Chiral perovskites have emerged as promising candidates for polarization-sensing materials. Despite their excellent chiroptical properties, the nature of their multiple-quantum-well structures is a critical hurdle for polarization-based and spintronic applications. Furthermore, as the origin of chiroptical activity in chiral perovskites is still illusive, the strategy for simultaneously enhancing the chiroptical activity and charge transport has not yet been reported. Here, we demonstrated that incorporating a Lewis base into the lattice can effectively tune the chiroptical response and electrical properties of chiral perovskites. Through solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic measurements and theoretical calculations, it was demonstrated that the material property manipulation resulted from the change in the time-averaged structure induced by the Lewis base. Finally, as a preliminary proof of concept, a vertical-type circularly polarized light photodetector based on chiral perovskites was developed, exhibiting an outstanding performance with a distinguishability of 0.27 and a responsivity of 0.43 A W^-1.

Chiral molecular intercalation superlattices

The discovery of chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) opens up the possibility to manipulate spin orientation without external magnetic fields and enables new spintronic device designs^1-4. Although many approaches have been explored for introducing CISS into solid-state materials and devices, the resulting systems so far are often plagued by high inhomogeneity, low spin selectivity or limited stability, and have difficulties in forming robust spintronic devices^5-8. Here we report a new class of chiral molecular intercalation superlattices (CMIS) as a robust solid-state chiral material platform for exploring CISS. The CMIS were prepared by intercalating layered two-dimensional atomic crystals (2DACs) (such as TaS₂ and TiS₂) with selected chiral molecules (such as R-α-methylbenzylamine and S-α-methylbenzylamine). The X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies demonstrate highly ordered superlattice structures with alternating crystalline atomic layers and self-assembled chiral molecular layers. Circular dichroism studies show clear chirality-dependent signals between right-handed (R-) and left-handed (S-) CMIS. Furthermore, by using the resulting CMIS as the spin-filtering layer, we create spin-selective tunnelling junctions with a distinct chirality-dependent tunnelling current, achieving a tunnelling magnetoresistance ratio of more than 300 per cent and a spin polarization ratio of more than 60 per cent. With a large family of 2DACs of widely tunable electronic properties and a vast selection of chiral molecules of designable structural motifs, the CMIS define a rich family of artificial chiral materials for investigating the CISS effect and capturing its potential for new spintronic devices.

A Chirality-Based Quantum Leap

There is increasing interest in the study of chiral degrees of freedom occurring in matter and in electromagnetic fields. Opportunities in quantum sciences will likely exploit two main areas that are the focus of this Review: (1) recent observations of the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect in chiral molecules and engineered nanomaterials and (2) rapidly evolving nanophotonic strategies designed to amplify chiral light-matter interactions. On the one hand, the CISS effect underpins the observation that charge transport through nanoscopic chiral structures favors a particular electronic spin orientation, resulting in large room-temperature spin polarizations. Observations of the CISS effect suggest opportunities for spin control and for the design and fabrication of room-temperature quantum devices from the bottom up, with atomic-scale precision and molecular modularity. On the other hand, chiral-optical effects that depend on both spin- and orbital-angular momentum of photons could offer key advantages in all-optical and quantum information technologies. In particular, amplification of these chiral light-matter interactions using rationally designed plasmonic and dielectric nanomaterials provide approaches to manipulate light intensity, polarization, and phase in confined nanoscale geometries. Any technology that relies on optimal charge transport, or optical control and readout, including quantum devices for logic, sensing, and storage, may benefit from chiral quantum properties. These properties can be theoretically and experimentally investigated from a quantum information perspective, which has not yet been fully developed. There are uncharted implications for the quantum sciences once chiral couplings can be engineered to control the storage, transduction, and manipulation of quantum information. This forward-looking Review provides a survey of the experimental and theoretical fundamentals of chiral-influenced quantum effects and presents a vision for their possible future roles in enabling room-temperature quantum technologies.

Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity and Its Implications for Biological Functions

Chirality in life has been preserved throughout evolution. It has been assumed that the main function of chirality is its contribution to structural properties. In the past two decades, however, it has been established that chiral molecules possess unique electronic properties. Electrons that pass through chiral molecules, or even charge displacements within a chiral molecule, do so in a manner that depends on the electron's spin and the molecule's enantiomeric form. This effect, referred to as chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS), has several important implications for the properties of biosystems. Among these implications, CISS facilitates long-range electron transfer, enhances bio-affinities and enantioselectivity, and enables efficient and selective multi-electron redox processes. In this article, we review the CISS effect and some of its manifestations in biological systems. We argue that chirality is preserved so persistently in biology not only because of its structural effect, but also because of its important function in spin polarizing electrons. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics, Volume 51 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.