Spontaneous resolution in a new chiral purely organic crystal containing homochiral helical chains: Synthesis, crystal structure, and phosphorescence

•A novel chiral purely organic crystal was prepared and structurally characterized.•Spontaneous resolution occurred during the crystallization.•Hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interactions induce the left-handed helical chain.•Chirality of the originally formed helical chain is transferred uniformly.•This chiral crystal exhibits interesting phosphorescent property.

A novel chiral purely organic crystal [(A)(HA+HSO4−)2]⋅2H2O (1) (A = 2-(imidazo [1,2-a]pyridin-2-yl)-2-oxoacetic acid) has been obtained through diffusion of acetone into sulfuric acid aqueous solution of A. This crystal was characterized by the elemental analysis, IR spectrum and the single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic system, chiral space group P21, with a = 10.092(2) Å, b = 15.641(3) Å, c = 10.551(2) Å, β = 101.62(3)°, and Z = 2. Compound 1 reveals left-handed 21 helical chain assembled by hydrogen bond and hydrophobic (short atomic contact) interactions, in which spontaneous resolution occurs. The left-handed chirality of the original helical chain is transferred uniformly to adjacent chain in a homochiral manner, through interchain hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interactions, resulting in the formation of chiral layer. Compound 1 also exhibits green phosphorescence.

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