The Norrish reaction is a photochemical reaction that involves the cleavage of a nearby carbon-carbon bond or the rearrangement of a carbon skeleton. Some of the synonyms for the Norrish reaction include Norrish type I reaction, photoelimination, and photodecarbonylation. The reaction is named after the British chemist Ronald George Wreyford Norrish, who first reported it. Norrish type I reaction is a common term used in organic chemistry to describe any reaction that involves the formation of a carbonyl compound. Photoelimination refers to the process of removing a molecule or atom from a compound by using light. Photodecarbonylation, on the other hand, refers to the process of removing a carbon dioxide molecule from a compound by using light.