Permanent microporosity and enantioselective sorption in a chiral open framework.

A homochiral microporous material is presented. The phase has 47% permanently porous void volume and is shown to have >1 nm diameter pores with three-dimensional channels using probe molecule sorption. Enantioselective guest sorption is strongly dependent on guest size. The homochiral microporous phase was identified by reactive selection from a first-generation chiral but nonporous framework. Chiral permanent porosity is established by directional noncovalent interactions between framework-forming and nonframework forming components of the stable second-generation material, which become stronger upon loss of the guests from the pore system.