Using laser-induced Coulomb explosion of aligned chiral molecules to determine their absolute configuration

The absolute configuration of chiral molecules in the gas phase is determined by femtosecond laser-induced Coulomb explosion and recording of the emission direction of critical ionic fragments. The spatial orientation of the 3,5-dibromo-3',5'-diflouro-4'-cyanobiphenyl molecules studied is determined by a combination of laser-induced alignment and time-of-flight measurement of F+ ion recoils. Hereby, the enatiomeric state of the molecules could be uniquely identified through analysis of the correlation of the angular distribution of F+ and Br+ ions. The method will apply to a range of molecules and allow imaging of chiral changes on ultrafast time scales.