Graphene‐like nets of hydrogen‐bonded water molecules in the dihydrate of 2‐[(2‐ammonioethyl)amino]acetate and the structure of its anhydrous hydroiodide salt

2‐(2‐Ammonioethyl)amino]acetate dihydrate, better known as N‐(2‐aminoethyl)glycine dihydrate, C₄H₁₀N₂O₂·2H₂O, (I), crystallizes as a three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded network. Amino acid molecules form layers in the ac plane separated by layers of water molecules, which form a hydrogen‐bonded two‐dimensional net composed of fused six‐membered rings having boat conformations. The crystal structure of the corresponding hydroiodide salt, namely 2‐(2‐ammonioethyl)ammonio]acetate iodide, C₄H₁₁N₂O₂⁺·I^?, (II), has also been determined. The structure of (II) does not accommodate any solvent water molecules, and displays stacks of amino acid molecules parallel to the a axis, with iodide ions located in channels, resulting in an overall three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded network structure. N‐(2‐Aminoethyl)glycine is a molecule of considerable biological interest, since its polyamide derivative forms the backbone in the DNA mimic peptide nucleic acid (PNA).