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

The inclusion compound of zinc lactate terephthalate with R-butan-2-ol, [Zn2(R-BusOH) (bdc)(S-lac)]•(R-BusOH) (BusOH is butan-2-ol, H2bdc is terephthalic acid, S-H2lac is lactic acid), was prepared by soaking crystals of [Zn2(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.