Chiral guest in a chiral framework: X-ray diffraction study

The inclusion compound of zinc lactate terephthalate with R -butan-2-ol, [Zn 2 ( R -Bu s OH) (bdc)( S -lac)]•( R -Bu s OH) (Bu s OH is butan-2-ol, H 2 bdc is terephthalic acid, S -H 2 lac is lactic acid), was prepared by soaking crystals of [Zn 2 (dmf)(bdc)( S -lac)]•DMF in pure R -butan-2-ol. The positions of chiral alcohol molecules in voids of the chiral framework and the host–guest contacts were determined by X-ray diffraction. These data provide an explanation for the origin of chiral discrimination of zinc lactate terephthalate toward the R -isomer of butan-2-ol.