Chiral scrambling and independent crystallization of D4, L4, and D2L2 isomers of an Au(I)4Co(III)2 hexanuclear complex with mixed penicillaminate and bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane.

The 1:1 mixing of a pair of enantiomers of a cyclic Au(I)4Co(III)2 hexanuclear complex having penicillaminate (pen) and 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe), [Au4Co2(dppe)2(d-pen)4](2+) (d4-[1](2+)) and [Au4Co2(dppe)2(l-pen)4](2+) (l4-[1](2+)), in solution produced an additional stereoisomer, [Au4Co2(dppe)2(d-pen)2(l-pen)2](2+) (d2l2-[1](2+)), because of the scrambling of [Co(d-pen)2](-) and [Co(l-pen)2](-) units between d4-[1](2+) and l4-[1](2+). Upon crystallization with NO3(-), the three stereoisomers were independently crystallized to form three different kinds of crystals, homochiral crystals of d4-[1](NO3)2, homochiral crystals of l4-[1](NO3)2, and heterochiral crystals of d2l2-[1](NO3)2, showing a unique example of the self-recognition and organization of three stereoisomers upon crystallization.