Rational design of BINOL-based diimidazolyl ligands: homochiral channel-like mono-component organic frameworks by hydrogen-bond-directed self-assembly.

We have developed a synthetic strategy to selectively incorporate the imidazole ring into the 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) skeleton at the different position. The resulting conformationally rigid BINOL-based diimidazolyl ligands bearing both hydrogen-bond-acceptors and -donators can self-assemble into homochiral channel-like mono-component organic frameworks via intermolecular O-H···N hydrogen bonds between the phenolic hydroxyl group and the N2 or N4 atom of the imidazole ring.