Glycinamide is an organic compound with the molecular formula H<sub>2</sub>NCH<sub>2</sub>C(O)NH<sub>2</sub>. It is the amide derivative of the amino acid glycine. It is a water-soluble, white solid. Amino acid amides, such as glycinamide are prepared by treating the amino acid ester with ammonia.
It is a ligand for transition metals, related to amino acid complexes. As a neutral ligand, it binds through the amine. In some complexes, it binds through the amine and the carbonyl oxygen, forming a five-membered chelate ring.
The hydrochloride salt of glycinamide, glycinamide hydrochloride, is one of Good's buffers with a pH in the physiological range. Glycinamide hydrochloride has a pKa near the physiological pH (8.20 at 20ðC), making it useful in cell culture work. Its ÃÂpKa/ðC is -0.029 and it has a solubility in water at 0 ðC of 6.4 M.
Glycinamide is a reagent used in the synthesis of glycineamide ribonucleotide (an intermediate in de novo purine biosynthesis).