Comparison between the dielectric properties of α- and β-alanine solutions

Abstract

Dielectric measurements on 1M solutions of α- and β-alanine at frequencies of hundreds of megacycles are described and the dielectric increments and relaxation wavelengths deduced. The dipole moments for α- and β-alanine at 20°C are 17.0 and 19.4D corresponding to charge separations at 3.5 and 4.1 Å respectively. The relaxation wavelengths at any given temperature were similar for both molecules with a tendency for the β-alanine to take a lower value. The activation enthalpies for dielectric relaxation for both alanines are equal to each other and to the corresponding enthalpy for viscosity, thus showing a close relationship between the dielectric and viscosity processes.