X-Ray Induced Coulomb Explosion Imaging of Complex Molecules

Recording images of individual molecules with ultrashort “exposure times” has been a long-standing dream in molecular physics, chemistry, and biology, because this would allow one to follow the motion of atoms on their inherent timescale. While X-ray and electron diffraction have been successfully used for larger molecules, both are very challenging to apply to small gas-phase molecules. Moreover, these techniques are relatively insensitive to hydrogen atoms, which are key to many chemical reactions.