Abstract
The thermal Curtius rearrangement of cinnamoyl azide, 1-azido-3-phenylprop-2-ene-1-one, and the reactions of some of its derivatives is studied theoretically using the DFT-B3LYP/6-31G(
d
,
p
) approach. The potential energy surface profiles of the rearrangement are calculated. The transition state was located and confirmed. The Curtius rearrangement of the studied compounds is a one-stage, discrete reaction. A weak effect of substitution on the reaction rate is due to the unique, localized π system of the studied molecules; strong opposing dipoles span the whole molecule.