1. A chemical process in which a diazo compound is formed, typically by the reaction of a primary aromatic amine with nitrous acid.
Usage: technical; chemistry

Examples

• The diazotization of aniline produces a diazonium salt that can be used in further organic synthesis.
• In the laboratory, diazotization requires careful temperature control to prevent decomposition of the diazo intermediate.
• The diazotization reaction is a key step in the preparation of azo dyes.
• Chemists use diazotization to introduce nitrogen-containing functional groups into aromatic compounds.
• The diazotization process involves the formation of an unstable diazonium ion intermediate.