Chiral crystals from an achiral molecule: 4,6-di-O-benzyl-1,3-O-benzylidene-2-O-(4-methoxybenzyl)-myo-5-inosose

Acta Crystallogr C. 2012 May;68(Pt 5):o183-7. doi: 10.1107/S0108270112010001. Epub 2012 Apr 6.

Abstract

The title achiral compound, C(35)H(34)O(7), crystallizes in the chiral monoclinic space group P2(1). The molecules are densely packed to form a helical assembly along the crystallographic twofold screw axis via C-H···O and C-H···π interactions. Interestingly, the unit-translated helical chains are loosely connected via a rather uncommon edge-to-edge Ph-H···H-Ph short contact (H···H = 2.33 Å).