Helical Coordination Polymers with Large Chiral Cavities.

A quarter of the unit cell volume of [{Ni(4,4'-dipy)(3-nitrobenzoate) (MeOH) } ], which crystallizes in the form of helices, is occupied by large chiral cavities (400-500 Å ). The cavities are capable of encapsulating not only single molecules, but also face-to-face dimers of nitrobenzene (see stick model). 4,4'-dipy=4,4'-bipyridine.

From Disymmetric Molecules to Chiral Polymers: A New Twist for Supramolecular Synthesis?

A new branch of crystal engineering appears to have borne fruit: A noncovalently bonded network consisting of the complex illustrated as a stick model on the right is converted directly into a coordination polymer with a similar molecular architecture. The implications of the new work extend beyond the boundaries of coordination chemistry since the same strategy should work equally well in organic and organometallic systems.