(S)-2-[(2-Hydroxybenzyl)azaniumyl]-4-(methylsulfanyl)butanoate

The zwitterionic title compound, C12H17NO3S, is a reduced Schiff base derived from (S)-N-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)methionine. An intramolecular interaction between the N—H and carboxylate groups forms a roughly planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.1405 Å) five-membered ring containing the H(N), N, Cα, C(carboxylate) and O atoms in a pentagonal conformation. In the crystal, a supramolecular triangle-shaped motif is generated by molecules held together by O—H...O and N—H...O hydrogen bonds.