Hybrid compounds with chain and layered structures formed by \beta -alanine

Inorganic–organic hybrid compounds of the amino acid alanine have been prepared and characterized for the first time. Thus by the reaction of \beta-alanine with copper salts, one-dimensional hybrid chain compounds of the formulae $[Cu(CO_2CH_2CH_2NH_3)Cl_2]$, I, and $[Cu(H_2O)_2(NH_3CH_2CH_2CO_2)][SO_4].H_2O,$ II, and a two-dimensional layered compound$ [NH_4]_{0.33}[Cu_{0.5}(CO_2CH_2CH_2NH_2)Cl_{0.33}].H_2O$, III, have been obtained and their structures established by X-ray crystallography and other techniques. Hybrid chain alaninates of lead and strontium of the formulae $[Pb(CO_2CH_2CH_2NH_3)_2(NO_3)_2]$, IV and $[Sr(CO_2CH_2CH_2NH_3)_2(NO_3)_2]$,, V have also been obtained by the reaction of the corresponding metal salts with alanine. The linear chain compounds, I, II, IV and V contain extended metal-X-metal (X = Cl or O) bonds and have the $I^1O^o$ type inorganic (I) and organic (O) connectivities. The layered compound III also has metal–X-metal bonds with $I^2O^o$ type connectivity. Interestingly, the zero-dimensional copper alaninate dimer of the composition $[Cu_2(CO_2CH_2CH_2NH_3)_4Cl_2].2Cl.H_2O$ can be transformed to the linear chain structure I or the layered structure III under mild conditions