Photoelectron spectra of complexes of Na and La with N-acetylalanine and N-acetylvaline

X-ray photoelectron spectra of the bioinorganic complexes of Na and La with N-acetylalanine and N-acetylvaline have been measured. It has been found that the spectra of the O 1s core level in the complexes of Na with these amino acids are very different from those in the complexes of La with the same amino acids. The results indicate that in the complexes of La with N-acetylalanine and N-acetylvaline, both the oxygen atoms from the carboxyl group and the oxygen atoms from the carbonyl group of the amino acids will directly coordinate to the La ion, whereas only the oxygen atoms from the carboxyl group of the amino acids can directly coordinate to the Na ion in the complexes of Na with N-acetylalanine and N-acetylvaline.