Molecular crystals cannot be designed like macroscopic objects because they do not assemble according to simple, intuitive rules. Their structure results from the balance of many weak interactions, unlike the strong and predictable bonding patterns found in metal–organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks. Hence, design strategies that assume a topology or other structural blueprint will often fail. Here, we combine computational crystal structure prediction and property prediction to build energy–structure–function maps describing the possible structures and properties available to a candidate molecule. Using these maps, we identify a highly porous solid with the lowest density reported for a molecular crystal. Both crystal structure and physical properties, such as the methane storage capacity and guest selectivity, are predicted using the molecular diagram as the only input. More generally, energy–structure–function maps could be used to guide the experimental discovery of materials with any target function that can be calculated from predicted crystal structures, such as electronic structure or mechanical properties.

By variation of the zinc bonded alkyl group significantly different post-oxygenation products, the novel zinc alkylperoxide and the tetranuclear zinc oxo-encapsulated cluster, were derived from the controlled oxygenation of the corresponding alkylzinc complexes with a pyrrolylketiminate ligand.

The first chiral bipyridyl-type metalloligands based on aluminum derivatives of cinchonine (CN-H) were synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. These bischelate complexes, (CN)(2)AlX [X = Cl (1a), Me (1b)] were found to be effective building blocks for the preparation of novel helical nanotubular architectures as well as chiral bimetallic coordination polymers, as demonstrated by the rational synthesis of a helical structure formed by 1a and ZnCl(2). The applied methodology stands as an exemplary strategy for the rational synthesis of chiral metal-organic frameworks through self-organization driven by nonbonding interactions or coordination, which could potentially find applications in enantioselective separations and catalysis.