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  • Review Article
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Chiral light–matter interactions in solution-processable semiconductors

Nature Reviews Chemistry volume 9, pages 208–223 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Chirality is a fundamental property widely observed in nature, arising in objects without a proper rotation axis, therefore existing as forms with distinct handedness. This characteristic can profoundly impact the properties of materials and can enable new functionality, especially for spin-optoelectronics. Chirality enables asymmetric light and spin interactions in materials, with widespread potential applications ranging from energy-efficient displays, holography, imaging, and spin-selective and enantio-selective chemistry to quantum information technologies. This Review focuses on the emerging material class of solution-processable chiral semiconductors, a broad material class comprising organic, inorganic and hybrid materials. These exciting materials offer the opportunity to design desirable light–matter interactions based on symmetry rules, potentially enabling the simultaneous control of light, charge and spin. We briefly discuss the various types of solution-processible chiral semiconductors, including small molecules, polymers, supramolecular self-assemblies and halide perovskites. We then examine the interplay between chirality and spin in these materials, the various mechanisms of chiral light–matter interactions, and techniques utilized to characterize them. We conclude with current and future applications of chiral semiconductors that take advantage of their chiral light–matter interactions.

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Fig. 1: Polarized light and its role in chiral materials science.
Fig. 2: Examples of chiral small molecules and chiral supramolecular systems.
Fig. 3: Chiral inorganic and inorganic/organic hybrid solution-processable semiconductors.
Fig. 4: The interplay between chirality and electron spin in different material systems.
Fig. 5: Mechanistic origins of chiroptical activity.
Fig. 6: Techniques to study chiral light–matter interactions.
Fig. 7: Current and future applications of chiral light–matter interactions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rowland Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Zachary A. VanOrman, Winald R. Kitzmann, Antti-Pekka M. Reponen, Huygen J. Jöbsis & Sascha Feldmann

  2. Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Zachary A. VanOrman, Tejas Deshpande, Huygen J. Jöbsis & Sascha Feldmann

  3. Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Winald R. Kitzmann

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VanOrman, Z.A., Kitzmann, W.R., Reponen, AP.M. et al. Chiral light–matter interactions in solution-processable semiconductors. Nat Rev Chem 9, 208–223 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-025-00690-x

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