A new H-bonded supramolecular assembly of the diamine-diol family has been obtained from (1R,2R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (DAC) and (S)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol (PED). The structure was characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis and showed the typical architecture of DAC based assemblies, consisting of a three-stranded helicate coiling around a H-bonded core, with a predictable helicity sense determined by the configuration of DAC. The new assembly, while reconfirming the unique role of DAC as a powerful assembler of supramolecular structures, demonstrated that the C2 symmetry of diol partners employed so far is not essential for assembling helicates, although chirality is. In the case of the adduct between (1R,2R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane and (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol, molecular recognition and self-assembly have been shown to take place even in the absence of solvent, in the gas phase, where long crystals were formed by spontaneous organized aggregation of diamine-diol units. A thorough analysis of the results from the present and previous investigations has lead to a deeper understanding of the key features of the diamine-diol molecular code and of the requirements for recognition and assembly.Key words: supramolecular, hydrogen bonding, molecular recognition, self-assembly, diamines, diols.
The Role of the 14–20 Domain of the Islet Amyloid Polypeptide in Amyloid Formation