Acylnitrene

An acylnitrene is a type of reactive chemical species that contains a nitrogen atom, a carbonyl group (C=O), and a functional group called an azide (-N3). Acylnitrenes are highly reactive intermediates that can undergo a variety of chemical reactions, such as insertion into carbon-hydrogen bonds or addition to unsaturated double bonds.

Acylnitrenes are generated by the thermal or photochemical decomposition of azides, which are compounds containing the -N3 functional group. Azides can be prepared from a variety of starting materials, and they are widely used in organic synthesis and materials science.

Because of their high reactivity and potential for explosive decomposition, acylnitrenes must be handled with great care and under carefully controlled conditions. Nevertheless, they are valuable intermediates in synthetic chemistry, and their study has contributed significantly to our understanding of chemical reactivity and reaction mechanisms.