Schematic of the Beckmann rearrangement. Reagents: oxime, acid catalyst. Product: amide. Comments: The R group trans to the leaving group migrates to the nitrogen.

The Beckmann rearrangement is an organic reaction used to convert an oxime to an amide under acidic conditions. Methyl 5-cyanopyrazine-2-carboxylate uses The reaction begins by protonation of the alcohol group forming a better leaving group. ((2-Iodoethoxy)methyl)benzene uses The R group trans to the leaving group then migrates to the nitrogen, resulting in a carbocation and the release of a water molecule. This trans [1-2]-shift allows for the prediction of the regiochemistry of this reaction. The water molecule then attacks the carbocation and after deprotonation and tautomerization results in the final amide product. [1]

Mechanism

Mechanism of the Beckmann rearrangement. [1,2]-shift, the R group trans to the leaving group migrates to the nitrogen.

References:

1.
Beckmann, E. Ber. Dtsch. Chem. Ges. 1886, 19, 988–993.