Curtius rearrangement
English
editEtymology
editIntroduced by Theodor Curtius in 1885.
Noun
editCurtius rearrangement (plural Curtius rearrangements)
- (organic chemistry, physical chemistry) The thermal decomposition of an acyl azide to an isocyanate with loss of nitrogen gas. The isocyanate then undergoes attack by a variety of nucleophiles such as water, alcohols and amines, to yield a primary amine, carbamate or urea derivative respectively.
- Synonyms: Curtius degradation, Curtius reaction