Enantiomers of a selective gelatinase inhibitor: (R)- and (S)-2-[(4-phenoxyphenyl)sulfonylmethyl]thiirane.

The compound 2-[(4-phenoxyphenyl)sulfonylmethyl]thiirane, C15H14O3S2, a selective gelatinase inhibitor, was synthesized and structurally characterized. Two crystals were analyzed, one each for the R and S enantiomers, and the results were compared with the previously reported structure of the racemate. The enantiomerically pure compounds both crystallize with Z' = 2 in the space group P2₁, while the racemic mixture crystallizes with Z' = 1 in the space group P2₁/c, with disorder in the position of the thiirane group. This disorder accommodates both molecules for each of the enantiomerically pure crystals, showing good overlap of the molecules of the pure enantiomorphs with the components of the centrosymmetric structure.