Reaction Mechanism
The Curtius rearrangement may be thought of as a two-step process, the first step being the loss of nitrogen gas, forming an acyl nitrene (2), and the second step being the rearrangement of acyl nitrenes by migration of R-group to form the desired isocyanate (3). However, current evidence indicates that these two steps are likely concerted (i.e., they occur at the same time), and no free nitrene intermediate is formed.
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