Abstract
Brønsted acidic ionic liquid, [HMIM][BF 4 ], has been used as a non-volatile, eco-friendly solvent, and catalytic medium for the one-pot green synthesis of azides from corresponding alcohols. The [HMIM][BF 4 ] showed high reactivity than [BMIM][BF 4 ] and [BMIM][PF 6 ], affording azides in up to 97% yield, which could be easily separated from the reaction mixture. The ease of recyclability of [HMIM][BF 4 ] makes the reaction economically and potentially viable for practical applications. Azides are versatile substrates in organic synthesis and serve as convenient intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical heterocycles and natural products. By using dual functional [HMIM][BF 4 ] as solvent and catalyst, efficient synthesis of azides from their corresponding alcohols have been undertaken under eco-friendly conditions. This study may pave the way for practical application of [HMIM][BF 4 ] in cholesterylamine synthesis. © 2014 The Chemical Society Located in Taipei & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.