I seem to have started a lot of my recent posts with the word 'unfortunately', so I will try to refrain here.
Have you seen the price of DEAD (diethyl azodicarboxylate)? This is why the idea is not of any practical use for us, I am sorry to say. The transformation of alcohols to amines (and other functional groups using the same conditions; see Merck Index #264. Mitsunobu Reaction (http://themerckindex.chemfinder.com/TheMerckIndex/NameReactions/ONR264.htm)
(http://themerckindex.chemfinder.com/TheMerckIndex/NameReactions/ONR264.htm) for a very brief outline, and some references) is the Mitsunobu reaction, which has been discussed here before.
Fortunately, :) there are related and better alternatives. See Post 407575 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=11670.msg40757500#msg40757500)
(Chimimanie: "Well chief if you ask me", Novel Discourse) for a start, and read the rest of the thread for some more insight.
Edit: I will take a look at the Merck Index references tomorrow: if any of them are of interest, I will post the articles.
Part of the references quoted on cattleproder post .......java
cis-N-TOSYL-3-METHYL-2-AZABICYCLO[3.3.0]OCT-3-ENE
Submitted by: Louis S. Hegedus, Michael S. Holden, and James M. McKearin
Published in Collective Volume 7 p. 501, Annual Volume 62 p. 48
Annual Volume 62
(https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/hive/hiveboard/picproxie_imgs/djvu.gif)
Stereospecific and Stereoselective Reactions :Preparation of Amines from Alcohol
OyoMitsunobu, Makoto Qada, Takashi Sano
Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol.94, No.2. , 679, 1972
(not available still looking..if you have it , post it)
Here is the JACS 1972 article mentioned by Cattleprodder and not found/requested by Java.
Stereospecific and stereoselective reactions. I. preparation of amines from alcohols
(Oyo Mitsunobu, Makoto Wada, Takashi Sano)
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1972, 94(2) p. 679-680
(https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/hive/hiveboard/picproxie_imgs/pdf.gif)
indole_amine
Mitsunobu Reagent [Triphenyl-phosphine(TPP) and Diethyl Azodi-carboxylate (DEAD)/Diisopropyl azodicarboxylate(DIAD)]
Satish Kumar Nune, Synlett 1221-1222 (2003)
DOI:10.1055/s-2003-39913 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s%2D2003%2D39913)
(Free access!)
____ ___ __ _
Recently Modified Mitsunobu Reactions
Takashi Onozawa, Tokyo Kasei Chemicals Note #104
(https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/hive/hiveboard/picproxie_imgs/pdf.gif)
____ ___ __ _
None (http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/DI/diethyl_azodicarboxylate.html)
(http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/DI/diethyl_azodicarboxylate.html)
____ ___ __ _
Preparation of Diethyl Azodicarboxylate (DEAD):
Organic Syntheses, CV 4, 411 (http://www.orgsyn.org/orgsyn/prep.asp?prep=cv4p0411)
(http://www.orgsyn.org/orgsyn/prep.asp?prep=cv4p0411)
Organic Syntheses, CV 3, 375 (http://www.orgsyn.org/orgsyn/prep.asp?prep=cv3p0375)
(http://www.orgsyn.org/orgsyn/prep.asp?prep=cv3p0375)
____ ___ __ _
Mitsunobu Reaction Bibliography:
Mitsunobu, O.; Wada, M.; Sano, T. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1972, 94, 679.
R. F. C. Brown et al., Tetrahedron, 1994, 50, 5469. (Methodology Development)
M. A. Poelert et al., Rec. Trav. Chim., 1994, 113, 355. (Usage)
H. Schedel et al., Tetrahedron Asymmetry, 2000, 11, 2125 . (Usage)
T. Watanabe et al., Chirality, 2000, 12, 346. (Mechanism)
O. Mitsunobu, Synthesis, 1981, 1-28. (Overview)
Hughes, D. L. Org. Reac. 1992, 42, 335-656. (Overview)