Boosting charge transfer for α-Fe2O3 semiconductor with the coupling of chiral monolayer.

• An easy-to-handle way to boost charge transfer for α-Fe 2 O 3 rods by chiral monolayer. • Photocurrent density amplified up to 4 folds with the coupling of chiral monolayer. • Free charge carrier density enhanced by 61% with the coupling of chiral monolayer. • Charge transfer resistance reduced remarkably with the coupling of chiral monolayer. α-Fe 2 O 3 is an attractive semiconductor for solar energy conversion because of its narrow band gap, robustness and low cost, while its solar energy conversion efficiency is restricted due to poor electrical conductivity and high charge transfer resistance. In this work, we show an easy-to-handle way to deal with the drawback by coupling α-Fe 2 O 3 rods with chiral monolayer to facilitate charge transportation. It is found that with the coupling of chiral monolayer, charge migration resistance of α-Fe 2 O 3 was remarkably reduced, visible-light-driven photocurrent density was amplified up to 4 folds, and the free charge carrier density was enhanced by 61%. These enhancement could be related to the Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity effect of chiral monolayer on spin alignment of charge carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]