Hydroxamic acids from nitro compounds

N-oxidation can occur in a number of ways to give either hydroxylamines from primary and secondary amines [Eqs. (11) and (12)], hydroxamic acids from amides, or N-oxides from tertiary amines [Eq. (13)]. The enzyme systems involved are either cytochrome P450 or a flavoprotein oxygenase. Hydroxylamines may be further oxidized to a nitro compound via a nitroso intermediate [Eq. (11)]. Oximes can be formed by rearrangement of the nitroso intermediate or N-hydroxylation of an imine, that could in turn be derived by dehydration of a hydroxylamine [Eq. (11)]. N-Oxides may be formed from both tertiary arylamines and alkylamines and from nitrogen in heterocyclic aromatic systems, such as a pyridine ring. 

Alicyclic hydroxamic acids undergo several specific oxidative cleavage reactions which may be of diagnostic or preparative value. In the pyrrolidine series compounds of type 66 have been oxidized with sodium hypobromite or with periodates to give y-nitroso acids (113). Ozonolysis gives the corresponding y-nitro acids. The related cyclic aldonitrone.s are also oxidized by periodate to nitroso acids, presumably via the hydroxamic acids.This periodate fission was used in the complex degradation of J -nitrones derived from aconitine. 

When primary nitro compounds are treated with sulfuric acid without previous conversion to the conjugate bases, they give carboxylic acids. Hydroxamic acids are intermediates and can be isolated, so that this is also a method for preparing them. Both the Nef reaction and the hydroxamic acid process involve the aci form the difference in products arises from higher acidity, for example, a difference in sulfuric acid concentration from 2 to 15.5 M changes the product from the aldehyde to the hydroxamic acid. The mechanism of the hydroxamic acid reaction is not known with certainty, but if higher acidity is required, it may be that the protonated aci form of the nitro compound is further protonated. 

Hydroxamic acids can also be prepared from primary nitro compounds with SeOa and EtsN Sosnovsky, G. Krogh, J.A. Synthesis, 1980, 654. 

Nitro-compounds fRNOj) are isomeric with nitrites, but their electronic structure, excited states and photochemistry are very different. There is no very low-lying (n.jt ) state, and nitroalkanes show n — 3i absorption with a maximum around 275 nm ( —201 mol - cm In cyclohexane solution, nitromethane (CH1NOi) is photoreduced to nitrosomethane(CH,NO, but nitroethane under the same conditions gives rise to a nitroso-dimer derived from the solvent CS.47). The latter process is probably initiated by cleavage of the carbon-nitrogen bond in the nitroalkane. In basic solution (when the nitroalkane is converted to a nitronate anion) irradiation can lead to efficient formation of a hydroxamic acid (S.48), and this reaction most likely proceeds through formation of an intermediate three-mem bered cyclic species. 

The Meyer reaction is generally not of rtujor synthetic significarwe. It is observed when a nitro compound is exposed to strong acid. In diis way, carboxylic acids are obtained from primary nitro compounds. The reaction is thought to involve nitrile oxides and hydroxamic acids (RCONHOH) as intermediates. The latter can be isolated by avoiding heat, and the former have been trapped by 1,3-di-polar cycloaddition to alkenes and alkynes. ... 

Various reduced forms of nitrogen, including amines, amides, N-alkylhydroxylamines, oximes, hydroxamic acids and aromatic nitro compounds, serve as substrates for nitrite, but not for nitrate, formation by various individual organisms (Doxtader and Alexander, 1966). Nitrite yields varied from a few to 190 p.p.m. Cell extracts of a Fusarium were able to convert an oxime into nitrite. 

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