Magneto-Chiral Dichroism: A Playground for Molecular Chemists

Magneto-chiral dichroism (MChD) is a non-reciprocal manifestation of light–matter interaction that can be observed in chiral systems possessing a magnetization, either spontaneous or induced by an external magnetic field. It features a differential absorption or emission of unpolarized light that depends on the relative orientation of the magnetization with respect to the direction of the light propagation vector and on the absolute configuration of the system. Molecular chemistry is the best-suited route towards systems combining chirality and magnetism. Nowadays, investigation of MChD is still in its infancy although this effect might play a fundamental role in technological applications, such as optical readout of magnetic data with unpolarized light. With this Minireview, the authors provide a precise description of this unconventional effect, recall the main results obtained so far and, highlighting new challenges, underline the opportunities opened to molecular chemists interested in investigating this fascinating effect with implications in chemistry and beyond.