We have recently reported (1) the application of the Fischer indole synthesis to the preparation of benzofurans. We wish to describe here the Fischer cyclization of 0-(2,4dinitrophenyl) oximes (In) to 5,7dinitrobenzofurans (IV).Some compounds of the type (111) were reported in the literature (Z), prepared by condensation of oximes with 2,4dinitrochlorobenzene. We synthesized these compounds directly from the carbonyl compounds, condensing them with 0-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)hydmxylarnine (11).A previous attempt to synthesize compound I1 by Ilvespaa and Mancer (3) was reported to fail because of the sensitivity of the aminooxy group. We prepared I1 by condensing t-butyl N-hydroxycarbamate (4) with 2,4dinitrochlorobenzene and treating the resulting t-butyl N-(2,4dinitrophenoxy) carbamate (I) with trifluoroacetic acid. 0-(2,4-Dinitrophenyl) hydmxylamine (11) condensed readily with aldehydes and ketones to give O(2,Cdinitrophenyl) oximes (In). Over sixty compounds of this type 413were prepared but only those used for cyclization are described here. 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazones undergo the Fischer reaction only under severe conditions, using sulfuric acid in boiling acetic acid as catalyst (5). We used the same catalyst for the cyclization of compounds (UI) and obtained 5,7dinitrobenzofurans in 3045% yield. The 0-(2,4dinitrophenyl) oximes of acetone, acetophenone and cyclohexanone were cyclized to 5 ,7dinitro-2-methylbenzofuran, 5,7 -&nitro -2-phenylbenzofuran and 6,8 &nitro -1,2,3,4tetrahydrodibenzofuran respectively. EXPERIMENTAL t-Butyl N-(2,4-Dinitrophenoxy)carbmate (I). 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene (20.2 g., 0.1 mole) in ethanol (200 ml.) was added dropwise to astirred solution of t-butyl N-hydroxycarbarnate (4) (13.3 g., 0.1 mole) and potassium hydroxide (5.6 g., 0.1 mole) in ethanol (200 d.). The solution which turned deep I II -02NQ---JR R ' N O 2 I V