Stereochemical configuration and selective excitation of the chiral molecule halothane

X-ray single-photon ionization and fragmentation of the chiral molecule halothane from a racemic mixture have been investigated using the cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy technique. Two important facets related to the core ionization of this species are examined: Firstly, the distinction of enantiomers (mirror isomers) and the determination of absolute configuration on a single-molecule level by four-body Coulomb explosion; secondly, the interplay of site-selective excitation and fragmentation patterns. These results are easily transferable to other molecular species and show the wealth of features that can be investigated by coincidence spectroscopy of chiral molecules. (paper)