Abstract: A new compound,[Cu(C₅H₇NO₂)·H₂O]·H₂O, was synthesized via solid state reaction of L-glutamic acid, copper acetate and non-aqueous sodium acetate, which had a mole ratio of 1:2:4. The crystal structure was characterized by means of elemental analysis, infrared spectrum, thermo-gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Thermo-gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis reveal that the compound contains one water molecule of crystallization and one coordinating water molecule. The analysis of crystal structure indicates that the crystal belongs to the ortho-gonal system with space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), a=0.724 4(2) nm, b=1.033 0(3) nm, c=1.107 5(3) nm, Z=4, V=0.828 8(4) nm³, D_c=1.961 g/cm³, μ=2.635 mm^-1, F(000)=500, R₁=0.030 7, wR₂=0.069 6, GOF=1.012. The configuration of the compound is a deformed tetragonal pyramid, which is composed of the oxygen atom of C₁ and C₅ carboxyls, the nitrogen atom of amino group in L-glutamic acid, the oxygen atom of hydrone and copper ion. The intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the tetragonal pyramid was formed by means of carboxyl and crystalline water or coordinated water. So the three-dimensional supermo-lecular structure of the compound was formed via the hydrogen bonding and weak interaction. Optical activity analysis results show that the construction of the compound is laevorotary, and [α]_D¹⁵=-38.5°, and its optical direction differed with that of ligand. It is attributed to the formation of the pentabasic ring consisting of the oxygen atom of the carboxyl and the nitrogen atom of the amino group, and then the environment of the chiral carbon atom was changed, which resulted in the change of optical direction.