Abstract Ethyl 2-nitrophenyl oxalate (1 a) and its 5-methoxy derivative (1b) were subjected to catalytic hydrogenations over 3% Pt (S) on carbon in different solvents. Thus, hydrogenation in acetic acid yielded 4-hydroxy-2, 3-dioxo-1, 4-benzoxazine (2a) and its 7-methoxy derivative (2b) by reductive cyclization, the dehydro forms of the naturally occurring cyclic hydroxamic acids DIBOA and DIMBOA from Gramineae. In contrast, hydrogenation of ...