Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Facile Protocol for the Synthesis of Self-assembling Polyamine-based Peptide Amphiphiles (PPAs) and Related Biomaterials
Published on: June 25, 2018
N-Amidino-4-hydroxy-L-proline monohydrate and N-amidino-L-methionine monohydrate
Katarzyna Rlepokura1, Monika Gawłowska
1Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, 14 Joliot-Curie St, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland. slep@wcheto.chem.uni.wroc.pl
Abstract:
The title amidino-amino acids (a-Hpro), C6H11N3O3.H2O, (I), and a-Met, C6H13N3O2S.H2O, (II), respectively, exist in the form of zwitterions. The five-membered pyrrolidine ring in (I) adopts an envelope conformation, with the Cgamma atom out of the plane defined by the rest of the ring atoms, and with the hydroxyl and carboxylate groups in a trans configuration relative to the ring plane. The two crystallographically independent zwitterions in (II) reveal quite different conformations of their side chains and a slightly different orientation of the guanidine moiety with respect to the carboxylate group. The crystal structures of both (I) and (II) are stabilized by extensive networks of O-H...O, N-H...O and C-H...O hydrogen bonds, the network being three-dimensional in (I) and two-dimensional in (II).
Related Concept Videos
Preparation of Amides
The DCC-promoted synthesis of amides begins with the protonation of DCC by carboxylic acid. The protonation makes it a better acceptor. Next, the addition of carboxylate to the protonated carbodiimide gives a reactive acylating agent.
Subsequently, the amine acts as a nucleophile that attacks the acylating agent to form a tetrahedral intermediate. In the...
Structure of Amines
Amino acids
Acid Halides to Amides: Aminolysis
In the first step of the aminolysis mechanism, the amine attacks the carbonyl carbon of the acyl chloride to form a tetrahedral intermediate. In the second step, the carbonyl group is re-formed with the elimination of a chloride...
Preparation of 1° Amines: Gabriel Synthesis
Strong bases like NaOH or KOH deprotonate the phthalimide to form the corresponding anion, which acts as a nucleophile. Further, the anion attacks an...
Amides to Carboxylic Acids: Hydrolysis
Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis:
Hydrolysis of amides under acidic conditions yields carboxylic acids. Since the reaction occurs slowly, hydrolysis requires the conditions of heat.
The mechanism begins with the protonation of the carbonyl oxygen by the acid catalyst. The protonation makes the amide carbonyl carbon more...

