C6H11NO

C6H11NO is the molecular formula of several organic compounds that share the same atom counts but differ in connectivity. It contains six carbon atoms, one nitrogen, and one oxygen, and has two degrees of unsaturation, which can arise from a carbonyl group plus a ring or from other ring systems. Because it is a formula for multiple isomers, C6H11NO does not denote a single compound.

Two of the most notable isomers are ε-caprolactam (azepan-2-one) and cyclohexanone oxime. ε-Caprolactam is a seven-membered lactam: a cyclic amide in which the ring contains six carbons and one nitrogen, with a carbonyl group. It is the principal monomer used to produce Nylon 6; industrially caprolactam is prepared by Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime, followed by cyclization.

Cyclohexanone oxime is the oxime derivative of cyclohexanone and is another isomer with the same formula. It is an important intermediate in several industrial and laboratory syntheses, including routes that ultimately furnish caprolactam for nylon production. Collectively, these isomers illustrate that C6H11NO can describe structurally diverse compounds with different properties and applications.