Formation of nitrone in the reaction ofpara-nitroso-N,N-dimethylaniline with tetracyanoethylene

para-Nitroso-N,N-dimethylaniline reacts with tetracyanoethylene to give [4-(dimethyl-amino)phenylimino]malononitrileN-oxide 1 (65%) in addition to [4-(dimethyl-amino)phenylimino]malononitrile 2 (17%). The structures of the products are confirmed by spectral data and chemical transformations.