Amine , primary, reaction with acyllactams

Amine(s), primary, reaction with acyllactams, 139f... 

The new primary amine anion (HI), unlike the lactam anion (II), is not stabilized by conjugation with a carbonyl group. It is therefore highly reactive and, once it is formed, it undergoes a rapid proton-abstraction reaction with a caprolactam monomer producing the dimer compound A -caproylcaprolactam (TV), which is a //-acyllactam, and regenerating the lactam anion (II) ... 

Due to the high rate of both disproportionation and aminolytic reactions at elevated temperatures (above 200°C for caprolactam), the equilibrium (90) is attained during the first minutes of polymerization [186, 187]. Hence, the initiation with lactam hydrochloride is practically equivalent to the initiation with an equimolar mixture of an acyllactam with a primary amine hydrochloride (provided that the amine is similar to the growing end group with respect to steric effects and basicity). 

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