Noun
Curtius rearrangement (plural Curtius rearrangements)
(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
This synthetic intermediate can be transformed into amphetamine using either a Hofmann or Curtius rearrangement (method 4). Source: Internet