Sodium Azide → 4-Azidomethyl-5-methyl-2-(4-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-oxazole

To a solution of 4-chloromethyl-5-methyl-2-(4-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-oxazole (2.4 g, 8.71 mmol) in methanol (13 mL) is added sodium azide (1.13 g, 17.4 mmol) in water (10 mL). The mixture is heated to reflux for 3 hrs, cooled to room temperature, majority of the methanol is evaporated, the residue is extracted with ethyl acetate, dried, concentrated and column chromatography on silica gel yields the title compound (2.10 g).