Resonant Inner-Shell Photofragmentation of Adamantane (C10H16)

Adamantane, the smallest diamondoid molecule with a symmetrical cage, contains two distinct carbon sites, CH and CH${}_2$. The ionization/excitation of the molecule leads to the cage opening and strong structural reorganization. While theoretical predictions suggest that the carbon site CH primarily causes the cage opening, the role of the other CH${}_2$ site remains unclear. In this study, we used advanced experimental Auger electron–ion coincidence techniques and theoretical calculations to investigate the fragmentation dynamics of adamantane after resonant inner-shell photoexcitation. Our results demonstrate that some fragmentation channels exhibit site-sensitivity of the initial core–hole location, indicating that different carbon site excitations could lead to unique cage opening mechanisms.