Question

Identify the monomers used in preparation of Nylon 2-nylon 6.

• A. Glycine and $\epsilon$-amino caproic acid
• B. $\beta$-hydroxy butyric acid and $\beta$-hydroxy valeric acid
• C. Ethylene glycol and phthalic acid
• D. Acrylamide and vinyl chloride

Hint:

Polymer nomenclature is heavily carbon-based. Nylon-6,6 uses two 6-carbon monomers (hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid). Nylon 2-nylon 6 uses a 2-carbon monomer and a 6-carbon monomer.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
We must identify the chemical building blocks (monomers) required for the synthesis of the specialty polymer Nylon 2-nylon 6.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Nylon 2-nylon 6 is a highly important alternating polyamide because it is one of the few synthetic polymers that is fully biodegradable.
The numbering in "Nylon x-nylon y" nomenclature provides a direct clue to its chemical structure: it tells us exactly how many carbon atoms exist in each respective monomer chain.
- "Nylon-2" indicates a monomer possessing exactly 2 carbon atoms. This corresponds to the amino acid Glycine ($H_2N-CH_2-COOH$).
- "Nylon-6" indicates a second monomer possessing exactly 6 carbon atoms. This corresponds to $\epsilon$-amino caproic acid ($H_2N-(CH_2)_5-COOH$).
These two monomers undergo step-growth condensation polymerization, releasing water molecules, to form the biodegradable polymer network.
Looking at the other options:
- (b) produces PHBV (another biodegradable polymer).
- (c) produces Glyptal.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The exact monomers are Glycine and $\epsilon$-amino caproic acid, which corresponds to option (a).