title: Direct determination of absolute molecular stereochemistry in gas phase by Coulomb explosion imaging.
abstract: Bijvoet's method, which makes use of anomalous x-ray diffraction or dispersion, is the standard means of directly determining the absolute (stereochemical) configuration of molecules, but it requires crystalline samples and often proves challenging in structures exclusively comprising light atoms. Herein, we demonstrate a mass spectrometry approach that directly images the absolute configuration of individual molecules in the gas phase by cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy after laser ionization-induced Coulomb explosion. This technique is applied to the prototypical chiral molecule bromochlorofluoromethane and the isotopically chiral methane derivative bromodichloromethane.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Nuclear Physics, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pitzer
authors.forename: Maksim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunitski
authors.forename: Allan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jahnke
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sann
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: Lothar Ph H
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Böcking
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dörner
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stohner
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiedrowski
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reggelin
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marquardt
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schießer
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Markus S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Schöffler