Self-assembly of a pseudo-tetrahedral Zn(II) complex with a chiral reduced Schiff base into a helical superstructure

A pseudo-tetrahedral Zn(II) complex with an N,O-donor chiral reduced Schiff base N-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)-(R)-α-methylbenzylamine (HL) crystallize in the non-centrosymmetric space group P31. The [ZnL2] molecules having the Δ configuration assemble via intermolecular N–H⋯O and C–H⋯O interactions into a right-handed 31 helix.