Pyrrolidones and caprolactams are important structural components of solvents, surfactants, polymers, natural products, and pharmaceuticals. This chapter provides an introduction to the structure, conformation, physical properties and reactivity of pyrrolidones and caprolactams. It begins with an overview of the nomenclature of lactams since there are several systems of nomenclature in practice, plus common names and various syncretisms. Next, the structures of pyrrolidone and caprolactam are discussed, starting with the X-ray crystal structures of pyrrolidone, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and caprolactam. The conformational flexibility and ring strain of the two ring systems are also covered.Physical properties, such as dipole moments, the enthalpies of formation, vaporization and fusion, boiling points and melting points, are described. An attempt is made to put the properties of pyrrolidones and caprolactams into context with those of other lactams, amides and even lactones and cyclic ketones. Brønsted and Lewis basicity, acidity, hydrogen bonding and solubility are covered.Finally, a brief description of the basic reactivity of pyrrolidones and caprolactams is given. Topics covered are N-, O-, and α-C-alkylation, hydrolysis, reactions with organometallics, reduction, oxidation, and ring-opening polymerization. The intent is to give a concise physical organic perspective on reactivity (and stability) more than an extended treatise on synthetic elaborations.
Definition and Nomenclature of LactamsLactams are cyclic amides in which both the carbonyl carbon and nitrogen atom of the amide group are part of a ring. The name, lactam, is a portmanteau of lactone (cyclic ester) and amide.Nomenclature of lactams follows a variety of conventions (Figure 1 and Table 1). The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) recommends naming lactams as heterocyclic pseudoketones (IUPAC method 1) or by substituting lactam for the