Search for: All records

Encapsulation of liquid guest molecules in hydrogen-bonded frameworks permits analysis of their preferred conformations through single crystal X-ray diffraction. 

Crystalline fibers of the hydrogen-bonded framework bis(guanidinium) naphthalene-1,5-disulfonate, (G)2(1,5-NDS), with ethanol guest molecules twist as they grow when deposited from solution under conditions that favor low nucleation densities and high branching rates. Spherulites comprising helicoidal fibers with a pitch of 3.4 ± 0.5 μm display rhythmic concentric variations in interference colors between crossed polarizers. Tightly packed fibers and platelets, systematically change orientations between flat-on and edge-on crystallites with respect to the substrate surface. Mueller matrix imaging reveals periodic oscillations in the absolute magnitude of the linear retardance and an associated bisignate circular retardance. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data demonstrates that the twisted (G)2(1,5-NDS)⊃EtOH crystals adopt a bilayer packing motif with ethanol as guest molecules (space group P1 ̅). When the banded spherulite films were subsequently heated at 130°C, the solvated phase was converted to a guest-free crystalline phase (space group P21/c). This transition resulted in loss of linear retardance. 

Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) is arguably the most definitive method for molecular structure determination, but it is often challenged by compounds that are liquids or oils at room temperature or do not form crystals badequate for analysis. Our laboratory previously reported a simple, cost-effective, single-step crystallization method based on guanidinium organosulfonate (GS) hydrogen bonded frameworks for structure determination of a wide range of encapsulated guest molecules, including assignment of the absolute configuration of chiral centers. Herein, we expand on those results and report a head-to-head comparison of the GS method with adamantoid “molecular chaperones”, which have been reported to be useful hosts for structure determination. Inclusion compounds limited to only two GS hosts are characterized by low R1 values and Flack parameters, infrequent disorder of the host and guest, and manageable disorder when it does exist. The structures of some target molecules that were not included or resolved using the adamantoid chaperones were successfully included and resolved by the GS hosts, and vice versa. Of the 32 guests attempted by the GS method, 31 inclusion compounds afforded successful guest structure solutions, a 97% success rate. The GS hosts and adamantoid chaperones are complementary with respect to guest inclusion, arguing that both should be employed in the arsenal of methods for structure determination. Furthermore, the low cost of organosulfonate host components promises an accessible route to molecular structure determination for a wide range of users. 

During the past three decades, the ability of guanidinium arenesulfonate host frameworks to encapsulate a wide range of guests has been amply demonstrated, with more than 700 inclusion compounds realized. Herein, we report crystalline inclusion compounds based on a new aliphatic host, guanidinium cyclohexanemonosulfonate, which surprisingly exhibits four heretofore unobserved architectures, as described by the projection topologies of the organosulfonate residues above and below hydrogenbonded guanidinium sulfonate sheets. The inclusion compounds adopt a layer motif of guanidinium sulfonate sheets interleaved with guest molecules, resembling a mille-feuille pastry. The aliphatic character of this remarkably simple host, combined with access to greater architectural diversity and adaptability, enables the host framework to accommodate a wide range of guests and promises to expand the utility of guanidinium organosulfonate hosts.