The Hofmann degradation reaction, also known as the Hofmann rearrangement, is a chemical reaction that involves the conversion of primary amides to primary amines with the loss of one carbon atom. This reaction is different from other amide hydrolysis reactions, which typically involve the conversion of amides to carboxylic acids and amines without any change in the carbon skeleton.The mechanism of the Hofmann degradation reaction can be described in the following steps:1. Formation of N-haloamide: The reaction starts with the treatment of the primary amide with a halogen chlorine or bromine and a strong base, usually aqueous sodium or potassium hydroxide. This leads to the formation of an N-haloamide intermediate.RCONH2 + Br2 + 4OH- RCONHBr + 2H2O + 3Br- + OBr-2. Formation of isocyanate intermediate: The N-haloamide undergoes rearrangement in the presence of the strong base to form an isocyanate intermediate. This step involves the migration of the R group alkyl or aryl from the carbonyl carbon to the nitrogen atom, with the simultaneous elimination of a halide ion.RCONHBr + OH- RNCO + H2O + Br-3. Hydrolysis of isocyanate: The isocyanate intermediate is then hydrolyzed in the presence of water to form a primary amine and a molecule of carbon dioxide.RNCO + H2O RNH2 + CO2Overall, the Hofmann degradation reaction can be summarized as:RCONH2 + Br2 + 4OH- RNH2 + CO2 + 2H2O + 3Br- + OBr-The key difference between the Hofmann degradation and other amide hydrolysis reactions is the formation of an isocyanate intermediate and the loss of one carbon atom in the form of carbon dioxide. In contrast, typical amide hydrolysis reactions involve the direct cleavage of the amide bond to form a carboxylic acid and an amine without any change in the carbon skeleton.