α-Keto amides 10a,b, formed from reaction of pyruvic or benzoylformic acid with allyl amine are found to present as single rotameric forms whilst their tertiary amido analogues 10c,d present as two rotamers in solution at rt. The hydroxyimino derivatives 8 share the conformational characteristics of their parents. The geometrical make-up of the new α-amidooximes is seen to depend on the structure of the starting acid and on the degree of substitution of the amido group. The oxime 8a derived from pyruvic acid and allyl amine is formed solely as the (E )-isomer whilst its tertiary amido analogue 8c is formed as both (E )-and (Z )-isomers. Oximes derived from benzoylformic acid have the opposite selectivity with both geometrical isomers forming from the secondary amide 8b and only the (Z )-isomer from the tertiary amide 8d. With the exception of 8b all oximes were configurationally stable with (Z )-isomers reacting to form isoxazolopyrrolidinones 11-compounds with a relatively rare bicyclic nucleus and (E )-isomers cyclising to piperazin-5-one nitrones 1-ketopiperazine N-oxides have to date only appeared once in the literature. New nitrones were trapped with phenyl vinyl sulfone, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and methyl propiolate yielding isoxazolidine and isoxazoline fused piperazinones 13,15,21 and 22. Cycloadducts from dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and 8a,b are thermally labile and their rearrangement provides a novel route to pyrrolopiperazinones 16. The structure of a representative isoxazolopyrrolidinone, 11c, and a 2,3-dihydroisoxazoline fused piperazinone, 21b, are unambiguously solved following x-ray structural analysis.

Preparation of a series of terminally and internally substituted δ-alkenyl and δ-alkynyl esters 6,7 and 9, potential precursors to oxazin-2-one nitrones, has been attempted. Condensation between pyruvic or benzoylformic acid and the appropriate alcohol proceeded smoothly in some cases whilst allylic transposition was a major feature in other casesmost especially during reactions with α-vinylbenzyl alcohol. Oximation of pyruvic acid derivatives furnished E-oxime isomers whilst benzoylformic acid derivatives afforded mixed geometrical isomers. The E-oxime of 4a 1 carrying an internal Me group undergoes facile thermal cyclisation affording nitrones 1c and 1d in good yield. Oximes E-5a,b with a terminal methyl substituent on the alkene moiety furnish nitrone only under the influence of an external electrophile [PhSeBr/AgBF 4 ]. A terminal Ph substituent on 5c,d prohibits formation of the cyclic dipole irrespective of reaction conditions, and whilst 5d reacts to afford a bicyclic isoxazolofuranone 13 by an IOOC reaction (intramolecular oxime olefin cyclisation) 5c remains thermally inert. Finally δ-alkynyl oximes 9c,d also failed to cyclise. The regio-and stereochemical characteristics of the cycloadditions between the new dipoles and electron poor olefinic dipolarophiles have been investigated. The conditions needed for reaction were rather forcing since the dipoles are somewhat stabilised by the adjacent alkoxycarbonyl group. All reactions proceeded regiospecifically to give adducts with 5-substituted isoxazolidine rings whilst diastereoselectivity varied with the choice of dipolarophile and the steric demands of the nitrone substituents. The phenylselenyl dipole 10a could not be trapped by any dipolarophiles bar dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate.

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