Three 2D Ag(I)-framework isomers with helical structures controlled by the chirality of camphor-10-sulfonic acid.

Three 2D Ag(I)-framework isomers were constructed from enantiopure camphor-10-sulfonic acids or racemic camphor-10-sulfonic acids, together with achiral 4-aminobenzoic acids. In complex 1, (+)-camphor-10-sulfonic acids bridge the single left-handed helices that are made up of Ag ions and 4-aminobenzoic acids, generating a homochiral 2D layer. In such a structure, the interweaving of triple left-handed homohelices was also found. It is worth noting that the helicity of complex 2 could be controlled by the handedness of the camphor-10-sulfonic acid. In complex 2, there are right-handed helical structures, including single right-handed and triple right-handed helical structures connected by (-)-camphor-10-sulfonic acids. For a comparative study, (±)-camphor-10-sulfonic acids were utilized to synthesize complex 3, in which equal numbers of right-handed or left-handed double-helical chains are created. All the complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray structure determination, powder X-ray diffraction, IR, TGA and element analysis. Circular dichroism spectra of complexes 1 and 2 were been studied to confirm the fact that enantiopure bridging ligands do not racemize.