화학공학소재연구정보센터
Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.124, No.1, 1-10, 2020
An Isosymmetric High-Pressure Phase Transition in alpha-Glycylglycine: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study
We investigated the effects of hydrostatic pressure on alpha-glycylglycine (alpha-digly) using a combined experimental and theoretical approach. The results of powder X-ray diffraction show a change in compressibility of the axes above 6.7 GPa, but also indicate that the structure remains in the same monoclinic space group, suggesting an isosymmetric phase transition. A noticeable change in the Raman spectra between 6 and 7.5 GPa further supports the observed phase transition. First-principles-based calculations combined with the crystal structure prediction code USPEX predict a number of possible polymorphs at high pressure. An orthorhombic structure with a bent peptide backbone is the lowest enthalpy polymorph above 6.4 GPa; however, it is not consistent with experimental observations. A second monoclinic structure isosymmetric to alpha-digly, alpha'-digly, is predicted to become more stable above 11.4 GPa. The partial atomic charges in alpha'-digly differ from alpha-digly, and the molecule is bent, possibly indicating different reactivity of alpha'-digly. The similarity in the lattice parameters predicted from calculations and the axial changes observed experimentally support that the alpha'-digly phase is likely observed at high pressure. A possible explanation for the isosymmetric phase transition is discussed in terms of relaxing strained hydrogen bonding interactions. Such combined experimental and modeling efforts provide atomic-level insight into how pressure-driven conformational changes alter hydrogen-bonding networks in complicated molecular crystals.