Beckmann
Beckmann
Beckman
rearrangement
Chemical Properties
Name of rearrangement is on the name
of a German Chemist; Ernst Beckmann
The ketoximes by the action of acids
undergo a peculiar intramolecular re-
arrangement known as the BECKMAN
REARRANGEMENT yielding an amide
or anilide as a final product
Oximes
R2CO R2C=NOH
Isomers
R R' R R'
Possible Isomers
2, p-bromophenyl ethyloxime is an
asymmetric oxime, hence two possible
products
OH HO
N N
CH3 CH3
Br Br
Beckman Rearrangement
It is an acid-catalyzed rearrangement
of an oxime to an N substituted amide
H
Beckman Rearrangement
R1 R2 OH R2
C C
N N
OH R1
Beckman Rearrangement
C RCOCl C
N N
Beckman OH OCl
Rearrangement -OCl -
Mechanism R2
In the presence of R1 R2
+C
acid chlorides/acid
C
halides
N
N+
R1
H2 O
+ OH R2
OH2 R2
C
C -H+
R2CO N H R1
N
N
R1
R1
R1 R2 R1 R2
C H+ C
N N
Beckman OH OH2+
Rearrangement -H2O
Mechanism R2
R1 R2
In the presence +C
of strong acids C
N
N+
R1
H2O
+ OH R2
OH2 R2
C
C -H+
R2CO N H R1
N
N
R1
R1
Cyclic oxime
Application
Amides can be prepared from the
Beckmann Rearrangement
Because it is an acid catalyzed
rearrangement of an oxime to an amide
Application: Preparation of Amides