New example of spontaneous resolution among aryl glycerol ethers: 3-(2,6-dichlorophenoxy)propane-1,2-diol

• Crystallization features of 3-(2,6-dichlorophenoxy)propane-1,2-diol are investigated.
• The crystal, selected from rac-diol, was solved in the trigonal Sohncke space groups P32.
• A right-hand bilifar helix (“double P-helix”) is the principal supramolecular motif in S-diol crystals.
• Direct resolution of rac-3-(2,6-dichlorophenoxy)propane-1,2-diol was realized by entrainment procedure.

Using a set of simple tests, based on the properties of ideal conglomerate phase diagrams, it has been suggested to the conglomerate-formative nature of 3-(2,6-dichlorophenoxy)-propane-1,2-diol 1. Additional arguments have been drawn during the study of a single crystal X-ray diffraction study of the compound. The crystal packing details have been evaluated and discussed. Racemic 1 have been resolved into individual (S)- and (R)-components by a preferential crystallization procedure.