Enhanced reactivity of tributyltin azide has been demonstrated in nucleophilicringcleavage of oxiranes without solvent and promoter to give 1,2-azido alcohols in good to excellent yields.
The combination of hydrogen azide with amines has proven to effect the C-2 opening of 2,3-epoxyester with high regioselectivity uniformly for trans-epoxyesters and depending on their structures for cis-2,3-epoxyesters.