Salts between (R,R)- or meso-N,N'-oxalylbis(phenylglycine) 1 and (R)-, (S)-, or (+/-)-1-phenylethylamine 2 construct three different layer structures depending on their stereochemistry. By X-ray crystallography, it is elucidated that the formation of a hydrogen bonding network between the amino and carboxyl groups and the planarity of the oxalyl functionality are important to construct the sheet structure. The salt of (R,R)-1 and 2 forms a bilayer or puckered structure, whereas the salt of meso-1 and 2 constructs a monolayer structure. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.