Ricerc@Sapienza

Linear ω-phenylalkylamines of increasing alkyl chain length have been investigated employing synchrotron radiation in the photon energy range from 7 to 15 eV. These molecules have received considerable interest because they bear the skeleton of biologically relevant compounds including neurotransmitters and because of the possible interaction between the amino moiety and the phenyl ring. Recently, the contribution of this interaction has been assayed in both neutral and protonated species, pointing to a role of the polymethylene chain length.

Propylene oxide, a favorite target of experimental and theoretical studies of circular dichroism, was recently discovered in interstellar space, further amplifying the attention to its role in the current debate on protobiological homochirality.