Diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (DIAD) is the diisopropyl ester of azodicarboxylic acid. It is used as a reagent in the production of many organic compounds. It is often used in the Mitsunobu reaction[1] where it serves as an oxidizer of triphenylphosphine to triphenylphosphine oxide. It has also been used to generate aza-Baylis-Hillman adducts with acrylates.[2] It can also serve as a selective deprotectant of N-benzyl groups in the presence of other protecting groups.[3]
It is sometimes preferred to diethyl azodicarboxylate (DEAD) because it is more hindered, and thus less likely to form hydrazide byproducts.