Strength from weakness: opportunistic CH···O hydrogen bonds differentially dictate the conformational fate in solid and solution states.

We show that the CH···O hydrogen bond can be opportunistic to differentially dictate the conformation of cyclitols in solution and solid states. While several intermolecular CH···O stabilize the chair-conformation in the solid, single intramolecular CH···O stabilizes an otherwise unfavorable boat-conformation in solutions analogous to the boat-conformation of cis-1,4-cyclohexanediols by OH···O bonds.