Determination of absolute chirality using resonant X-ray diffraction

Abstract

We have demonstrated that resonant diffraction experiments using the circularly polarized X-ray beam absolutely determines the crystal chirality. Both berlinite and quartz crystals belonging to space group P3 221 show higher azimuth-constant intensity for the negative (-) helicity beam than that for the the positive (+) helicity beam for space-group forbidden reflection 001. The relation is opposite for quartz crystal belonging to space group P3 121. Theoretical calculation shows that this relation completely agrees with the experimental findings for the enantiomorphic space-group pair P3 121 and P3 221. This method is applicable to chiral motifs that occur in biomolecules, liquid crystals, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics, etc. © 2012 EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag.