Enantioselective incorporation of dicarboxylate guests by octacalcium phosphate

Abstract

Enantioselectivity by octacalcium phosphate (OCP) is revealed through the incorporation of (S)-(−)-methylsuccinic acid (MeSuc) into its crystal lattice, with hardly any (R)-(+)-MeSuc incorporated. This phenomenon clearly indicates that OCP recognizes the steric structures of guest molecules, extending chiral recognition in inorganic materials to three-dimensional crystal growth.