Alaninol

Alaninol is a chiral amino alcohol with the chemical formula C3H9NO. It is the reduced form of the amino acid alanine, meaning the carboxyl group of alanine has been converted into a primary alcohol group. Specifically, alaninol is (S)-2-aminopropan-1-ol.

This compound is a colorless liquid and is soluble in water. Its chirality is derived from the stereocenter at the second carbon atom, which is also present in alanine. Alaninol can be synthesized through various chemical reduction methods, often starting from alanine or its ester derivatives.

Alaninol finds applications as a chiral building block in organic synthesis, particularly in the preparation of pharmaceuticals and other complex organic molecules. Its amino and hydroxyl functional groups allow for a variety of chemical transformations. It can be used in the synthesis of chiral ligands, catalysts, and as a resolving agent for racemic mixtures. In biological contexts, alaninol has been studied for its potential as a neuromodulator, though its precise physiological roles are still under investigation.