Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 17, 2025

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy
Published on: August 13, 2019
Structural Elucidation of the Mechanism of Molecular Recognition in Chiral Crystalline Sponges
Shi-Yuan Zhang1,2, David Fairen-Jimenez2, Michael J Zaworotko1
1Department of Chemical Science, Bernal Institution, University of Limerick, Limerick, V94 T9PX, Republic of Ireland.
Abstract:
To gain insight into chiral recognition in porous materials we have prepared a family of fourth generation chiral metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that have rigid frameworks and adaptable (flexible) pores. The previously reported parent material, [Co2 (S-mandelate)2 (4,4'-bipyridine)3 ](NO3 )2 , CMOM-1S, is a modular MOF; five new variants in which counterions (BF4- , CMOM-2S) or mandelate ligands are substituted (2-Cl, CMOM-11R; 3-Cl, CMOM-21R; 4-Cl, CMOM-31R; 4-CH3 , CMOM-41R) and the existing CF3 SO3- variant CMOM-3S are studied herein. Fine-tuning of pore size, shape, and chemistry afforded a series of distinct host-guest binding sites with variable chiral separation properties with respect to three structural isomers of phenylpropanol. Structural analysis of the resulting crystalline sponge phases revealed that host-guest interactions, guest-guest interactions, and pore adaptability collectively determine chiral discrimination.
Related Concept Videos
Chirality at Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur
A consequence of chirality is the need for enantiomeric resolution. While this is theoretically possible for all...
Prochirality
Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers
Chirality in Nature
Regioselectivity and Stereochemistry of Acid-Catalyzed Hydration
Naming Enantiomers

