Irradiation of pyridine N-oxide (1) in the presence of secondary amines in aqueous solution produces mixtures of isiomeric 2Z, 4E and N, N-disubstituted all-E 5 amino-2, 4- pentadienenitriles (3 and 4) in fair yields and with an ease to render the reaction preparatively useful. Furthermore such compounds can be prepared thermally by dehydration of 5-amino-2, 4-pentadienal oximes.