  We study the spin chain behavior, a transition to 3D magnetic order and the
magnitudes of the exchange interactions for the metal-amino acid complex
Cu(D,L-alanine)2.H2O, a model compound to investigate exchange couplings
supported by chemical paths characteristic of biomolecules. Thermal and
magnetic data were obtained as a function of temperature (T) and magnetic field
(B0). The magnetic contribution to the specific heat, measured between 0.48 and
30 K, displays above 1.8 K a 1D spin-chain behavior that can be fitted with an
intrachain antiferromagnetic (AFM) exchange coupling constant 2J0 = (-2.12
$\pm$ 0.08) cm$^{-1}$, between neighbor coppers at 4.49 {\AA} along chains
connected by non-covalent and H-bonds. We also observe a narrow specific heat
peak at 0.89 K indicating a phase transition to a 3D magnetically ordered
phase. Magnetization curves at fixed T = 2, 4 and 7 K with B0 between 0 and 9
T, and at T between 2 and 300 K with several fixed values of B0 were globally
fitted by an intrachain AFM exchange coupling constant 2J0 = (-2.27 $\pm$ 0.02)
cm$^{-1}$ and g = 2.091 $\pm$ 0.005. Interchain interactions J1 between coppers
in neighbor chains connected through long chemical paths with total length of
9.51 {\AA} are estimated within the range 0.1 < |2J1| < 0.4 cm$^{-1}$, covering
the predictions of various approximations. We analyze the magnitudes of 2J0 and
2J1 in terms of the structure of the corresponding chemical paths. The main
contribution in supporting the intrachain interaction is assigned to H-bonds
while the interchain interactions are supported by paths containing H-bonds and
carboxylate bridges, with the role of the H-bonds being predominant. We compare
the obtained intrachain coupling with studies of compounds showing similar
behavior and discuss the validity of the approximations allowing to calculate
the interchain interactions.
