Inclusion Properties of 11b-Substituted 2,3,5,6,11,11b-Hexahydro-3-oxo-1 H -indolizino[8,7- b ]indole-5-carboxylic Acid Esters. New Chiral Host Compounds Derived from l -Tryptophan

New chiral host compounds have been prepared from l-tryptophan and 3-aroylpropionic acids. These hosts show broad inclusion and sorption abilities toward solvent and racemic molecules, and are characterized by X-ray crystallographic analysis, which clarify the one-dimensional channel structures of the hosts, the helical arrangements of the guests, and the occurrence of weak interactions such as C–H···O and C–H···Cl between the hosts and the guests. The TG and DTA data show the high cohesion of the hosts, and the PXRD patterns indicate that the crystal structures of the hosts remain ordered after removal of the guest molecules. These hosts have potential usefulness in the optical resolution of racemic guest molecules such as s-butyl chloride and 4-methylcyclohexene.