Molecular cannibalism: Sacrificial materials as precursors for hollow and multidomain single crystals

This research demonstrates the formation of metallo-organic single crystals with a unique hexagonal-like tube morphology composed of six-connected half-rods. These structures originate from unstable, monodomain crystals that dissolve from the inside while material is anisotropically added to their shell, resulting in hollow, single crystals. Sonication of the solvents, generating radical species and reducing the active metal salt concentration, is crucial for the multidomain crystal formation. The crystallographic structures of both mono- and multidomain crystals are nearly identical, belonging to the rare space group P622, and exhibiting chirality despite being formed from achiral components. This approach opens avenues for generating a new class of crystals.

Maria Chiara di Gregorio, Merna Elsousou, Qiang Wen, Linda J. W. Shimon, Vlad Brumfeld, Lothar Houben, Michal Lahav, Milko E. van der Boom