Benzyl bromide (2.0 ml, 16.84 mmol, 1.0 eq.) was dissolved in DMSO (40 ml). Sodium azide (1.64 g, 25.26 mmol, 1.5 eq.) was added as a solid and the reaction was stirred overnight at ambient temperature. Water (75 ml) was added slowly (exothermic) before extracting the product into diethyl ether (3 × 150 ml). The combined diethyl ether layers were washed with brine (2 × 150 ml), dried over sodium sulfate and the solvent removed to leave a clear oil. Yield = 1.63 g, 12.24 mmol, 73%.

• Bräse, S., Gil, C., Knepper, K., Zimmermann, V. "Organic Azides: An Exploding Diversity of a Unique Class of Compounds," Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2005, 44, 5188-5240.http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.200400657
• Hartmuth C. Kolb, M. G. Finn, K. Barry Sharpless, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2001, 40, 2004–2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/1521-3773(20010601)40:11<2004::AID-ANIE2004>3.3.CO;2-X

¹H NMR (400 MHz, 298 K, CDCl₃) 7.42-7.32 (5H, m, Ph), 4.35 (2H, s, CH₂).

 ¹³C{¹H} NMR (100 MHz, 298 K, CDCl₃) 135.4 (Ph), 128.9 (Ph), 128.3 (Ph), 128.2 (Ph), 54.8 (CH₂).

 MS (EI/CI) m/z 105.1 [M-2N]⁺.

 IR cm^-1: 2090 s, 1497 w, 1455 m, 1253 m, 876 w, 735 m, 696 s.

 Elemental Analysis found (Calculated for C₇H₇N₃) % C 63.53 (63.14), H 5.72 (5.30), N 31.34 (31.56).