Production of a N-aryl-2-lactam and N-cycloalkyl-2-lactam by reductive amination of lactones with aryl amines

A process for preparing a cleaning composition, the process comprising the steps of:

• i) preparing N-cycloalkyl-2-lactam (IV) using a process comprising the step of contacting a lactone (I) with an aryl amine (II) in the presence of hydrogen gas and a metal catalyst, the metal catalyst being optionally supported, and, optionally, in the presence of a solvent;
• wherein:
• (a) n=0–11;
• (b) R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 taken independently are hydrogen, hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl, C1 to C18 unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl, unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl containing at least one heteroatom, unsubstituted or substituted aryl, or and unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl;
• (c) R7 is an aromatic group having from 6 to 30 carbons, and R8 is a fully or partially reduced derivative of R7;
• and
• ii) contacting N-cycloalkyl-2-lactam (IV) with a compound selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, glycols, glycol ethers, aliphatic alcohols, alkanolamines, pyrrolidones, water, and mixtures thereof.