Main description:

Over the last decades, amino acids have been found to be of importance in many fields of science. Apart from their biological function, this family of organic compounds has been employed in the synthesis of a vast variety of salts, with impact on areas such as materials science, pharmaceutical or physical research. This covers a wide range, from the discovery of important ferroelectrics or non-linear optical materials to nutrients, flavor enhancers or drugs. This book describes amino acids and their salts with cations, anions and inorganic compounds from a chemical, physical and crystallographical point of view. Additional data on structural properties, crystal growth and the relation of structure and physical properties of amino acid salts is discussed.

Contents:

Preface

1. Introduction
1.1 What are amino acids?
1.2 Naming amino acids
1.3 Configuration: Chirality and optical activity
1.4 Conformation: Molecular shape and stability
1.5 Cations, Anion, Zwitterions
1.6 Concluding remarks
References

2. Amino acid structures
2.1 Introducing remarks
2.2 Solubility and crystal growth
2.3 Amino acid structures
2.4 Summary
References

3. Compounds of amino acids and cations
3.1 Introducing remarks
3.2 Glycine
3.3 Alanine
3.4 Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine
3.5 Proline, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan
3.6 Serine and Threonine
3.7 Cysteine
3.8 Asparagine, Glutamine, Aspartic acid and Glutamic acid
3.9 Tyrosine, Histidine, Lysine, Arginine
3.10 Non-Standard Amino Acids
3.11 Concluding Remarks
References

4. Compounds of amino acids and neutral salts
4.1 Introducing remarks
4.2 Glycine
4.3 Alanine
4.4 Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine
4.5 Proline, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan
4.6 Serine, Threonine, Cysteine
4.7 Asparagine, Glutamine, Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid
4.8 Tyrosine, Histidine, Lysine, Arginine
4.9 -Alanine
4.10 Betaine4.11 Other non-standard amino acids
4.12 Concluding Remarks
References

5. Reactions of amino acids with acids
5.1. Simple salts
5.2. Salts of amino acids with dimeric cations
5.3. Mixed salts of amino acids with different anions and cations
References