Crystal structure of amino acid peroxosolvates; X-ray diffraction study of norleucine peroxosolvate

Norleucine peroxosolvate 2Nle · 3H2O2 was studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. There are 16 crystallographically independent amino acid molecules and 24 hydrogen peroxide molecules per asymmetric unit of the crystal structure. The crystal packing of this compounds is typical of mesomorphic crystals. The loose layers of aliphatic moieties alternate with double layers formed by the functional groups of all structural units of the crystal through O-H⋯O or N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Some amino acid and hydrogen peroxide molecules are disordered. The character of disorder is considered in terms of frozen dynamics, which suggests the possible mechanism of the involvement of hydrogen peroxide in the transport of bulky natural molecules across cell membranes.