Preparation of Several Lactams and Correlation of Their Structure With Their Infrared Spectra

Simple amides are neutral compounds with infrared absorptions characterized by a strong carbonyl absorption. N-H absorptions, and other less significant and unassigned absorptions. Lack of basic nature of amides has been attributed to strong resonance of the unshared pair of electrons on nitrogen with the C=O double bond. This stabilized the molecule to an extent not possible when the electron pair on nitrogen is protonated, since resonance stabilization of such an ammonium structure is no longer possible