Oximino acids formation

Several procedures involving the formation of a-oximino acid intermediates for the synthesis of a-amino acids have been described ... 

Nitrosyl formate may be generated in situ by treating isopentyl nitrite with anhydrous formic acid. This reagent evidently adds to olefins such as cyclohexene, styrene, norbomene, trans-3-hexene, and 2,3-dimethylbutene to give nitrosoformates. While the first three olefins were converted into dimeric products, 2,3-dimethylbutene produced a 50-50 mixture of the monomer and the dimer (as a blue oil). The product of the reaction with trans-3-hexene contained some of the corresponding oximino formate. 

The mechanism of Gutknecht pyrazine synthesis has been studied and is well understood. Reduction of the a-oximino ketone affords an a-amino ketone. If the reduction is carried out under acidic conditions, the a-amino ketone may be isolated as an acid salt. These acid addition salts are entirely stable. In these salts the ketone carbonyl may be hydrated, and this is particularly true for a-amino aldehydes. However, as soon as the free base of the amine is generated, either from the salt or during reduction of the oxime if this is carried out under neutral or basic conditions, rapid bimolecular imine formation occurs, which is then followed by rapid intramolecular formation of a second imine to afford a dihydropyrazine. Oxidation to the pyrazine may occur spontaneously upon exposure to air, particularly in the presence of transition metals, and it is this facile aerobic oxidation that doubtless accounts for the isolation of pyrazines by early workers in the field. 

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