Schmidt reaction




The Schmidt reaction is an organic reaction in which an azide reacts with a carbonyl group to give an amine or amide, with expulsion of nitrogen. It is named after Karl Friedrich Schmidt (1887–1971), who first reported it in 1924 by successfully converting benzophenone and hydrazoic acid to benzanilide. Surprisingly, the intramolecular reaction wasn't reported until 1991 but has become important in the synthesis of natural products