Sigma-Aldrich Sodium azide, ReagentPlus®, ≥99.5%

Sodium Azide (NaN₃) is a high-purity, reagent-grade compound with a wide range of molecular biology, biochemical, and industrial applications. Offered as ReagentPlus® grade (≥99.5%), it provides consistent and reliable performance for research and development use.

Sodium azide is best known as a potent metabolic inhibitor, particularly effective against oxidative phosphorylation, and widely used as a bacteriostatic preservative in laboratory buffers, biological fluids, and tissue storage solutions. It is also employed as a nucleophile in organic synthesis and serves as a catalyst in various chemical reactions.

Key Features

✅ High Purity (≥99.5%) suitable for analytical and biochemical applications

✅ Metabolic inhibitor that blocks oxidative phosphorylation

✅ Preservative to prevent microbial growth in lab reagents and buffers

✅ Non-volatile, water-soluble crystalline powder

✅ Versatile reagent in organic synthesis and material science

Applications

🔬 Molecular Biology & Biochemistry

• Prevents microbial contamination in buffer solutions and biological fluids
• Stabilizes nucleic acids for downstream analysis
• Used in HEPES buffer for whole-mount immunolabeling

🧪 Cell Culture & Histopathology

• Acts as a bacteriostatic agent in cell culture media
• Used in tissue sample preparation and storage

⚗️ Organic Synthesis & Catalysis

• Nucleophilic displacement in Baylis-Hillman reactions
• Catalyst in oxidative decarboxylation and Michael addition
• Reagent in synthesis of:
  • Blue fluorescent copolymers
  • Metal phosphonates
  • Aromatic amination reactions

🧬 Flow Cytometry

• Prevents capping and internalization of surface-bound fluorescent antibodies, improving signal stability

🧫 Hematology

• Preservative in diluting fluids for red blood cell counting

Chemical & Physical Properties

⚠️ Highly toxic—use appropriate safety precautions. Avoid contact with acids and dispose according to local hazardous waste regulations.

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