Synthetic studies of α, β-unsaturated α-nitrocarboxylic esters and the corresponding α-amino compounds are described. When α, β-unsaturated carboxylic ester was treated with fuming nitric acid, two products, α, β-unsaturated α-nitrocarboxylic ester and α-hydroxy-β- nitrocarboxylic ester, were formed. The former was converted into β-methoxy-α- nitrocarboxylic ester by treatment with methanol in the presence of a base such as sodium ...
