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Crystallizing molecules with long flexible chains is a challenge, making it difficult to perform X‐ray crystallography. Chaperones can assist in the crystallization of compounds that do not crystallize by themselves by producing solvate crystals that contain the analyte in their three‐dimensional lattices. Among the most versatile chaperones for liquid analytes are tetraaryladamantanes (TAAs), but the size of the compounds that can be encapsulated is limited, and attempts to surpass this limit with known TAAs were unsuccessful. Here we report that 1,3,5,7‐tetrakis(2‐fluoro‐4‐methoxyphenyl)adamantane (TFM) is a crystallization chaperone for acyclic molecules up to the molecular weight of phytyl acetate (338 g/mol). Encapsulation of such a large acyclic compound was achieved when the analyte was esterified and when a two‐step temperature protocol was used for crystallization. Exploratory work indicates that a drop to −20 °C allows for encapsulation of squalene (Mr 411 g/mol), albeit with positional disorder of the analyte. Our X‐ray crystal structures of solvates with flexible analytes shed light on how crystalline order can be imposed on large acyclic analytes. The new, fluorinated TAA gives access to crystal structures that were inaccessible thus far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a new crystallization chaperone called TFM, which allows for the formation of X-ray diffraction-based crystal structures that would otherwise be impossible to obtain. The chaperone acts like a glove that fits many different sizes, enabling the crystallization of liquid molecules as a solvate. The article also introduces a new temperature jump crystallization protocol. The cover graphic of the article depicts the analytes and the chaperone, along with the crystal lattice of the squalene solvate. [Extracted from the article]

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Copyright of Angewandte Chemie is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)