Dimethylformamide → 6-azido-N,N-dimethylnicotinamide

In a 500 mL round-bottomed flask, 6-chloro-N,N-dimethylnicotinamide (8.15 g, 44.1 mmol) was combined with DMF (50.0 ml) to give a brown solution. Sodium azide (3.44 g, 53.0 mmol) was added and the reaction mixture was heated to 120° C. and stirred for 60 h. The reaction mixture was diluted with 100 mL H2O and extracted with EtOAc (2×200 mL). The organic layers were combined, washed with H2O (1×50 mL), sat NaCl (1×100 mL), dried over Na2SO4 and concentrated in vacuo to a yellow oil. MeOH was added and the entire mixture solidified upon concentration. The crude product was dried under vacuum overnight. The pasty solid was recrystallized from EtOAc/Hex. The solid was filtered and washed with a minimal amount of hexane. The white powder was dried under vacuum at 45° C. for 3 hrs to give 2.23 g (26%) of the title compound. 1H NMR (300 MHz, CHLOROFORM-d) δ: 8.95 (s, 1H), 8.09 (d, J=9.1 Hz, 1H), 7.75 (dd, J=9.1, 1.5 Hz, 1H), 3.15 (br. s., 6H).