Mechanisms of amino acid polycondensation on silica and alumina surfaces

Abstract

Chemisorption products of bifunctional amino acid vapours on the surface of silica and alumina have been studied by the method of infrared spectroscopy. On the basis of the analysis of spectral data it is supposed that heterogeneous polycondensation of amino acids with formation of peptides proceeds under these conditions. The supposition was confirmed by the study of products of interaction of amino acid vapours with silica and alumina by the method of fast atom bombardment mass-spectrometry. It is established that in contrast to alumina the condensation of amino acids into linear peptides on silica surface proceeds only at presence of at least small amounts of water. The most probable mechanisms of extending of peptide chains are proposed on the basis of obtained experimental data.