Conformation and supramolecular arrangement of 1,3:2,4-dibenzyli-dene-D-sorbitol in solution and in single crystals

The X-ray crystal structure of the gelator 1,3:2,4-dibenzylidene-D-sorbitol (DBS) is reported here. DBS is an important gelating molecule known for nearly 130 years, that has eluded crystallization until now. The crystal obtained presents an axial stacking of DBS molecules stabilized by both Van der Waals interactions and intermolecular hydrogen bonds of the side chain hydroxyl groups with either neighboring DBS or water molecules. The crystal structure shows definitive evidence for the frequently assumed “butterfly” type aggregation mode and experimentally proves the equatorial placement of the phenyl rings. The conformation of DBS has been analyzed in the crystal structure and compared with that determined in solution through NMR spectroscopy.