Chiral induction in a ribose-decorated metallostar through intrinsic and interionic diastereomeric interactions.

A ribose-functionalized bpy ligand has been prepared and shown to give modest diastereomeric excesses of Lambda-[FeL(3)](2+) complexes; interconversion of Delta and Lambda cations is relatively fast, and in CHCl(3), the favored complexes with Delta- or Lambda-TRISPHAT counterions are homochiral, (Delta(+)Delta(-)) or (Lambda(+)Lambda(-)). In the case of the Delta-TRISPHAT salt, a single diastereomer is observed (de > or = 96%).