Chirality-Induced Spin Selectivity in II-VI and III-V Semiconductor Nanocrystals: Mechanism, Manipulation, and Application

Chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) enables spin-polarized charge transport through chiral media without magnetic fields. While extensively studied in organic and biomolecular systems, CISS in semiconductors remains limited, lacking standardized methodologies and mechanistic understanding. II-VI and III-V semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), with tunable band gaps, high optical quality, strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and diverse morphologies, provide an ideal platform for exploring spin-dependent phenomena. This review highlights fundamental concepts of chirality and its manifestation in nanostructures, distinguishing ligand-induced and intrinsic chirality in NCs. This work critically integrates recent advances on the microscopic link between chirality and spin selectivity, emphasizing mechanisms such as exciton-ligand hybridization, and surface/bulk inversion asymmetries that generate Rashba/Dresselhaus effects, leading to interfacial spin-filtering. This work describes structural control and chiroptical properties of chiral II-VI/III-V NCs, discussing factors like morphology, surface defects, and ligand chemistry, while outlining trade-offs among SOC, optical quality, and device integration. Mechanistic models, including exciton-ligand hybridization and photonic coupling, explain trends in circular dichroism. Strategies for tuning spin injection, transport, and relaxation are outlined, emphasizing SOC, structural anisotropy, and compositional engineering. This work assesses challenges in integrating chiral NCs into practical devices – including stability, scalability, environmental safety – and highlight opportunities in spin-LEDs, quantum computation, biosensing, and memory devices. © 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.