Completely Stereospecific Self-Assembly of a Circular Helicate.

A nanoscale turbine wheel is an apt description of the structure of the enantiomerically pure helicate [Ag (L2) ] (1), which precipitates as PF salt on mixing dissolved AgPF with the ligand L2 (a bis-bidentate ligand comprising two condensed α-pinene/bipyridine units linked by a xylylene bridge). The helicate has an outer diameter of about 3 nm and an inner diameter of 0.84 nm, and is a potential model for the study of stereospecific recognition processes.