Distinct chiral units from an axially prochiral ligand in a photoluminescent zinc(II)-organic complex.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, poly[(dimethylamine-κN)[μ(3)-(E)-2,6-dimethyl-4-styrylpyridine-3,5-dicarboxylato-κ(3)O(3):O(3'):O(5)]zinc(II)], [Zn(C(17)H(13)NO(4))(C(2)H(7)N)](n), consists of one crystallographically independent distorted tetrahedral Zn(II) cation, one (E)-2,6-dimethyl-4-styrylpyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (mspda(2-)) ligand and one coordinated dimethylamine molecule. Two S- and R-type chiral units are generated from the axially prochiral mspda(2-) ligand through C-H...O hydrogen bonds. The R-type chiral units assemble a left-handed (M) Zn-mspda helical chain, while the right-handed (P) Zn-mspda helical chain is constructed from neighbouring S-type chiral units. The P- and M-type helical chains are interlinked by carboxylate O atoms to form a one-dimensional ladder. Interchain N-H...O hydrogen bonds extend these one-dimensional ladders into a two-dimensional supramolecular architecture. The title compound exhibits luminescence at λ(max) = 432 nm upon excitation at 365 nm.