The crystal and molecular structure of $\gamma$-hydroxy-.$\beta$-amino butyric acid

The crystal structure or $\gamma$-hydroxy-$\betha$-aminobutyric acid was determined by MULTAN system with X-ray intensity data on a diffractometer and refined by the least-squares method to an R-value 0.034 for 711 reflections. The crystals were orthorhombic, space group $P2_{1}2_{1}2_{1}$, Z = 4, with a = 10.220, b = 8.257 and c = 6.556$\AA$. The molecule takes the zwitterionic form and skeletal conformation is trans-transform. The molecules are held together by intra-and intermolecular NH-O and OH--O hydrogen bonds.