Chiral two bladed ML metallamacrocycles: design, structures and solution behavior.

Chiral two bladed complexes of [Co(L)][BF] (1) and [Zn(L)][BF] (2) containing an atropoisomeric semi-rigid bidentate ligand L were synthesized and characterized. They are obtained as homochiral species but in a racemic mixture via a ligand self-sorting mechanism. These enantiomers can be differentiated in solution using optically active anions.