For the reaction that reduces azides to amines using phosphorus compounds, see Staudinger reaction.
The Staudinger synthesis, also called the Staudinger ketene-imine cycloaddition, is a chemical synthesis in which an imine1 reacts with a ketene2 through a non-photochemical 2+2 cycloaddition to produce a β-lactam3.[1] The reaction carries particular importance in the synthesis of β-lactam antibiotics.[2] The Staudinger synthesis should not be confused with the Staudinger reaction, a phosphine or phosphite reaction used to reduce azides to amines.
Reviews on the mechanism, stereochemistry, and applications of the reaction have been published.[3][4][5]
^Li, Jie Jack, ed. (2010). Name reactions for carbocyclic ring formations. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. p. 45. ISBN9780470872208.