# Electron-Transfer-Induced Thermal and Thermoelectric Rectification

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that electron transfer across temperature gradients in molecular structures can induce both thermal and thermoelectric rectification, expanding the understanding beyond phononic heat transport.

## Contribution

It introduces electron transfer as a new mechanism for thermal and thermoelectric rectification in molecular junctions, previously dominated by phononic effects.

## Key findings

- Electron transfer can generate thermal rectification in molecular systems.
- Electron hopping causes asymmetric Seebeck effects, enabling thermoelectric rectification.
- Electron transfer effects are significant in designing molecular thermal and thermoelectric devices.

## Abstract

Controlling the direction and magnitude of both heat and electronic currents using rectifiers has significant implications for the advancement of molecular circuit design. In order to facilitate the implementation of new transport phenomena in such molecular structures, we examine thermal and thermoelectric rectification effects that are induced by an electron transfer process that occurs across a temperature gradient between molecules. Historically, the only known heat conduction mechanism able to generate thermal rectification in purely molecular environments is phononic heat transport. Here, we show that electron transfer between molecular sites with different local temperatures can also generate a thermal rectification effect and that electron hopping through molecular bridges connecting metal leads at different temperatures gives rise to asymmetric Seebeck effects, that is, thermoelectric rectification, in molecular junctions.