<p>A new polymorph of L‑tryptophan has been prepared by crystallization from the gas phase, with structure determination carried out directly from powder XRD data augmented by periodic DFT-D calculations. The new polymorph (denoted β) and the previously reported polymorph (denoted α) are both based on alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic layers, but with substantially different hydrogen-bonding arrangements. The β polymorph exhibits the energetically favourable L2-L2 hydrogen-bonding arrangement, which is unprecedented for amino acids with aromatic side-chains; the specific molecular conformations adopted in the β polymorph facilitate this hydrogen-bonding scheme while avoiding steric conflict of the side-chains.</p><p>Data presented is the powder XRD on the new polymorph over a range of temperatures, NMR data on the new polymorph and results from DFT-D calculations of the stabilities of the two forms.<br></p><p>Researhc results based upon these data are published at https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201908247<br></p><p><br></p>
Funding
Combined experimental and computational investigation of polymorphism (2018-11-01 - 2020-10-30); Logsdail, Andrew. Funder: Cardiff University
Structure Determination by Powder X-Ray Diffraction (2016-01-01 - 2020-12-31); Harris, Kenneth. Funder: Cardiff University