2-n-Butyl-4-chloro-1-[(2'-cyanobiphenyl-4-yl)-methyl]-5-(hydroxymethyl)imidazole (11.93 g, 1.0 eq), sodium azide (3 eq), and ammonium chloride (3 eq) were mixed and stirred in DMF (150 mL) in a round bottom connected to a reflux condenser under N2. An oil bath with a temperature controller was then used to heat the reaction at 100° C. for 2 days, after which the temperature was raised to 120° C., for 6 days. The reaction was cooled and 3 more equivalents of ammonium chloride and sodium azide were added. The reaction was again heated for 5 more days at 120° C. The reaction was cooled, the inorganic salts filtered, and the filtrate solvent removed in vacuo. Water (200 mL) and ethyl acetate (200 mL) were added to the residue and the layers were separated. The aqueous layer was extracted with ethyl acetate (2×200 mL), the organic layers were collected, dried (MgSO4) and the solvent removed in vacuo, to yield a dark yellow oil. The product was purified by flash chromatography in 100% ethyl acetate to 100% ethanol over silica gel to yield 5.60 g of a light yellow solid. Recrystallization from acetonitrile yielded 4.36 g of light yellow crystals which still melted broadly. The crystals were taken up in 100 mL of hot acetonitrile. The solid that did not dissolve was filtered off to yield 1.04 g of product as a light yellow solid; m.p. 183.5°-184.5°. Upon cooling, the mother liquor yielded an additional 1.03 g of product as a light yellow solid; m.p. 179.0°-180.0°. NMR (200 MHz, DMSO-d6)δ7.75-7.48 (m, 4H); 7.07 (d, 2H, J=9 Hz); 7.04 (d, 2H, J=9 Hz); 5.24 (s, 2H); 5.24 (bs, 1H); 4.34 (s, 2H); 2.48 (t, 2H, J=7 Hz); 1.48 (t of t, 2H, J=7,7 Hz); 1.27 (t of q, 2H, J=7,7 Hz); 0.81 (t, 3H, J=7 Hz).
