Core Electron Transitions as a Probe for Molecular Chirality: Natural Circular Dichroism at the Carbon K-edge of Methyloxirane

Abstract

We have measured for the first time the X-ray natural circular dichroism (XNCD) of a chiral molecule in an isotropic medium. In this condition the only surviving term contributing to CD is the cross product between the electric dipole and the magnetic dipole transition moments. The non-zero value of the magnetic dipole transition moment in a 1s-to-valence electron transition is attributed to contribution of valence states to core molecular orbitals. These results open the way to a "local" chiral molecular analysis and to the study of stereochemically selected photochemical processes.