Spontaneous chiral resolution of a coordination polymer with distorted helical structure consisting of achiral building blocks.

Reaction of achiral 2,5-diphenyl-3,4-di(3-pyridyl)cyclopenta-2,4-dien-1-one (2) with ZnCl2 and HgBr2, respectively, afforded the helically chiral coordination polymers [(2)ZnCl2]infinity and [(2)HgBr2]infinity, which show spontaneous chiral resolution, forming colonies of homochiral crystals.