Chiral recognition of N-thiophosphorylated thioureas via nickel(ii) coordination assisted by 4-dimethylaminopyridine

Nickel(ii) complexes were synthesized using chiral N-thiophosphorylated thioureas as the starting compounds and 4-dimethylaminopyridine as a co-ligand. The reaction with racemic thiourea afforded homochiral complexes due to the distortion of the nickel coordination. The unsaturated coordination sphere of nickel ions results in the formation of supramolecular homochiral 1D chains in the crystal through steric key—lock interactions between adjacent molecules. Conformational flexibility of the ligands is responsible for disorder of molecules in the crystals and the occurrence of polymorphs.