Functional nylon 6 from renewable raw materials – scalable and versatile - European Coatings

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A Chinese research team has developed a biobased lactam monomer that can be used to efficiently produce functional nylon 6 copolymers. The new synthesis route is simple, cost-efficient and suitable for industrial implementation – with great potential for customised polyamides.

In a recent publication in Polymer Chemistry, Yahui Mao and colleagues report a novel copolymerisation method for producing functional nylon 6 from the biobased δ-valerolactam derivative M1 (3-(dimethylamino)piperidone) and the standard monomer ε-caprolactam. The new monomer building block is derived from the amino acid ornithine and offers an efficient way to incorporate functional side chains into the polymer backbone.

The synthesis of M1 and its copolymerisation with ε-caprolactam proved to be simple, reliable and easily scalable. The resulting polyamides exhibited thermal stability and crystallinity comparable to conventional nylon 6 – while at the same time being expandable through targeted functionalisation. The dimethylamino function in the polymer structure can be selectively reacted with electrophiles to create customised materials with improved adhesion, elasticity or solubility.

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The study makes a decisive contribution to the development of sustainable high-performance polymers. The use of a bio-based starting material and the option of chemical post-functionalisation creates a versatile material system with great industrial relevance – for example for fibres, films, composite materials or coatings.

The scalable approach to functionalised nylon 6 opens up new possibilities for applications, especially where standard polyamides reach their limits. This research not only contributes to the conservation of resources, but also to the functional expansion of established plastic classes.

Source: Polymer Chemistry, Issue 12, 2025, DOI: 10.1039/d4py01404a

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