Question:

Which of the following is the monomer of the polymer Nylon 6?

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Important Polymer–Monomer Pairs: Nylon-6 → Caprolactam
Nylon-6,6 → Hexamethylenediamine + Adipic Acid
PVC → Vinyl chloride
PET → Ethylene glycol + Terephthalic acid
Updated On: Apr 28, 2026
  • Adipic acid
  • Caprolactam
  • Ethylene glycol
  • Vinyl chloride
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Concept: Polymers are large macromolecules formed by the repeated linking of smaller molecules called monomers. Synthetic polymers such as nylon belong to the class of polyamides, which contain repeating amide linkages ($-CONH-$) in their structure.
Nylon-6 is produced by the polymerization of a single monomer called caprolactam.
• The polymerization occurs through a ring-opening polymerization reaction.
• During this process, the cyclic caprolactam molecule opens and forms long chains of polyamide units. Different types of nylon are produced using different monomers:
Nylon-6: Monomer is caprolactam.
Nylon-6,6: Produced from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid.

Step 1:
Identify the polymer mentioned in the question. The polymer specified is Nylon-6.

Step 2:
Recall its monomer. Nylon-6 is synthesized from the cyclic compound caprolactam through ring-opening polymerization.

Step 3:
Eliminate incorrect options.
• Adipic acid → Used in Nylon-6,6 synthesis.
• Ethylene glycol → Used in polyester formation (e.g., PET).
• Vinyl chloride → Monomer of PVC (Polyvinyl chloride). Hence, the correct monomer for Nylon-6 is Caprolactam.
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