A new high-pressure phase of the title amino acid (systematic name: 2-ammonio-4-methylpentanoate), C6H13NO2, is reported, with one molecule per asymmetric unit, in contrast to the atmospheric pressure phase, (I), reported by Harding & Howieson [Acta Cryst. (1976). B32, 633–634], which has two molecules in the asymmetric unit. The packing consists of a double layer structure, similar to those of (I) and other amino acids with non-polar side chains.
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Yamashita et al. (2007) studied this question.
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