Construction of multi-component supramolecular architectures of bile acids and cinchona alkaloids through helical-pitch-synchronized crystallization.

Molecular assemblies based on helical motifs are of substantial interest from the view point of fundamental science as well as application. In this study, we propose a new class of organic crystal, that is, heteroH-MOC (multi-component organic crystal containing different kinds of helical motifs consisted of different components), and describe successful construction of heteroH-MOCs with P2(1) and P2(1)2(1)2(1) space groups by using steroidal bile acids and cinchona alkaloids. In the P2(1) crystals, two kinds of helices composed of the steroid and alkaloid are arranged in a parallel fashion, while, in the P2(1)2(1)2(1) crystals, those are in a perpendicular fashion.