Supercritical Secondary Alcohols as Useful Media To Convert Polyamide into Monomeric Lactams

Abstract

Towards sustainable stockings? Nylon 6 was efficiently converted into its monomer caprolactam, which was isolated in over 90 % yield with excellent purity as the sole product of the reaction, by treatment with supercritical secondary or tertiary alcohols. The present method opens up a new avenue in plastic recycling chemistry.