cyclopentyl cyclopentenyl cyclohexyl cyclohexenyl cycloheptyl and cyclooctyl unless otherwise indicated the cycloalkyl group is optionally substituted with 1 2 or 3 preferably 1 or 2 more preferably 1 substituents that are compatible with the syntheses described herein such substituents include but are not limited to c 1 c 6 alkyl nitro halogen carboxylic acids e g c 0 c 6 u2014 cooh and c 2 c 6 alkene a preferred substituent is c 1 c 6 alkyl in some embodiments cycloalkyl is unsubstituted or is substituted only with c 1 c 6 alkyl in the invention alkyl diamine compounds of formula i are prepared by reduction of a nitroamine compound the reduction is carried out in the presence of an alkylamine compound the nitroamine compound that is subjected to reduction is a mono nitro mono amine with a structure that corresponds to the desired alkyl diamine thus the nitroamine may be represented by the following formula wherein n is an integer from 1 to 5 r 1 and r 2 are independently h or c 1 c 6 alkyl or r 1 and r 2 together with the carbon to which they are attached form c 3 c 12 cycloalkyl and r 3 and r 4 at each occurrence are independently h or c 1 c 6 alkyl nitroamine compounds of the foregoing formula may be commercially available or they may be readily prepared by those skilled in the art for instance nitroamine compounds may be prepared by the reaction.