Degradation of nylon 6 to produce a “pseudo” amino acid ionic liquid

Nylon 6 can be degraded using hydrochloric acid to produce a “pseudo” amino acid ionic liquid ε-aminocaproic acid hydrochloride. This degradation process has the advantages of operational simplicity and mild reaction conditions as well as avoiding energy-consuming and tedious purification process. The produced “pseudo” amino acid ionic liquid shows good solubility for chitosan due to its unique structure, proving it is promising as a functional material. This process to produce ionic liquids is innovative, which can help to solve the serious environmental problems caused by the waste nylon 6. It opens a new way for waste polymers utilization.