The stable alkylation products of alkyl and aryl nitrosohydroxylan~ir~es seem to exist in a hitherto unknown structure, the diimide dioxide linkage. The alternative possibility is the alkyl diazotate monoxide structure, but the latter cannot account for the pure methane evolved when the substances are treated with methyl halide Grignard reagent. T h e principal products of this reaction with Grignard reagents are diirnide monoxides formed subsequently by addition of an equivalent of reagent with elimination of the original alkoxy group a s its magnesium salt. Nitration of N-methyl-N'-phenyldiimide dioxide shows that in salt-forming media (nitric-sulphuric) the NpOzR group is electrically negative, but dipole moment studies show that it is highly degenerate. This resonance stabilization is not ~~nexpected in view of the high stability of the diimide dioxides in acidic media.The first i~itrosohydroxylamii~es were prepared (1) by reaction of nitric oxide with substances contailling an active methylene group in presence of ethanolic sodium hydroxide. Typical is the reaction with acetone which may be postulated as follows:The second, more orthodox, method of preparation involved the nitrosation of a n arylhydroxylamine (2), and led to the preparation of salts such as ammonium phenyl~~itrosohydroxylaminate (cupferron). The free acids are rather unstable.When the silver salts of these nitrosohydroxylamines (11, NI = Ag) are treated with alkyl iodides two products, designated a and P, are formed. The P isomers may be desig-,hT=O N=O Me1 R-N