Abstract: | The valine side chains in the crystal structure of the title compound systematic name: 2‐(2‐ammonio‐3‐methylbutanamido)‐3‐hydroxypropanoate trihydrate], C8H16N2O4·3H2O, stack along an a axis of 4.77 Å to form hydrophobic columns surrounded by remarkable water/hydroxyl shells. The peptide main chains are connected by hydrogen bonds in two‐dimensional layers. The peptide molecules in each layer are related only by translation, and generate a very rare pattern. This is rendered possible through the formation of the shortest Cα—H·O(carboxylate) interaction ever recorded. |