Real-time probing of chirality during a chemical reaction.

ABSTRACT: Chiral molecules interact and react differently with other chiral objects, depending on their handedness. Therefore, it is essential to understand and ultimately control the evolution of molecular chirality during chemical reactions. Although highly sophisticated techniques for the controlled synthesis of chiral molecules have been developed, the observation of chirality on the natural femtosecond time scale of a chemical reaction has so far remained out of reach in the gas phase. Here, we demonstrate a general experimental technique, based on high-harmonic generation in tailored laser fields, and apply it to probe the time evolution of molecular chirality during the photodissociation of 2-iodobutane. These measurements show a change in sign and a pronounced increase in the magnitude of th

SUBMITTER: Baykusheva D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6883812 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature