AMINO-ACID NETWORKS

The large range of hydrophobicities and water solubilities of cl-amino acids, together with the general accessibility of the L (natural) and D (synthetic) enantiomers, makes them ideal candidates for the develo pment of supramolecular networks in crystals, in bulk water and on sol id surfaces. In crystal and co-crystal structures of L- and DL-amino a cids, amino acid co-crystals and dipeptides, one already finds many us eful combinations and obtains definite clues to useful intermolecular interactions. In amphiphilic bilayers and bolaamphiphilic monolayers o f amino acid derivatives, crystalline alpha-networks can also be reali zed in noncovalent fibers and fiber assemblies. beta-Networks presumab ly depend on some ordering of the fibers on solid subphases or can be made by a stepwise assembly of appropriate amino acids on solid subpha ses.