A Schiff base, named after Hugo Schiff, is a compound with a functional group that contains a carbon-nitrogen double bond with the nitrogen atom connected to an aryl or alkyl group, not hydrogen. Schiff bases in a broad sense have the general formula R1R2C=NR3, where R is an organic side chain. In this definition, Schiff base is synonymous with azomethine. Some restrict the term to the secondary aldimines (azomethines where the carbon is connected to a hydrogen atom), thus with the general formula RCH=NR'.
The chain on the nitrogen makes the Schiff base a stable imine. A Schiff base derived from an aniline, where R3 is a phenyl or a substituted phenyl, can be called an anil.
Read more about Schiff Base: Synthesis, Biochemistry
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