Alkyl nitrate nitration of active methylene compounds. Nitration of 1-methyl4-piperidone, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone and 1,3-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidinone

The reaction of 1-methyl-4-piperidone ( 1 ) with amyl nitrate in the potassium tert-butoxidetetrahydrofuran system gave dipotassium 5-methyl-2-oxo-1,3-piperidinedinitronate ( 4 ) in 78% yield. Similar treatment of 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone ( 2 ) afforded potassium 3-methyl-2-oxopyrrolidinenitronate ( 7 ) in 85% yield. In contrast, the nitration of 1,3-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidinone ( 3 ) led to opening of the lactam ring with the formation of amyl 2-aza-2-methyl-5-nitrohexanoate ( 10 ) in 40% yield. Acidification of disalt 4 did not cause ring opening but gave the dipolar ion of 1-methyl-3-nitro 4-hydroxy-5-aci-nitro-Δ³-tetrahydropyridinium (6).