H2NCO
H2NCO is a chemical shorthand that may refer to a carbamoyl-type fragment or to a transient radical species containing two hydrogens on nitrogen and a carbon–oxygen fragment. In practice, the notation most often conveys the carbamoyl unit NH2–CO, or the corresponding reactive radical form H2NCO•, rather than a discrete, isolable neutral molecule under ordinary conditions. Because H2NCO is highly reactive, it is typically discussed as an intermediate in reaction mechanisms rather than as a stable compound.
Structural considerations for H2NCO center on the connection between an amino group and a carbonyl fragment.
Occurrences and detection are indirect. H2NCO-related intermediates are inferred from product distributions, spectroscopic signals in high-energy
See also isocyanic acid (HNCO); the carbamoyl group; carbamoyl radical; isocyanate.