1.8 g of 5-benzyloxy-2-(4-methoxyphenoxy)nitrobenzene was dissolved in 40 ml of acetic acid. 200 mg of 5% palladium-carbon was added thereto. The mixture was subjected to hydrogenation at room temperature at atmospheric pressure. After the completion of the reaction, the catalyst was removed by filtration and the solvent was removed by distillation under reduced pressure. The residue was mixed with 7 ml of methylene chloride and 1.10 ml of pyridine to obtain a solution. Thereto was dropwise added 400 mg of methanesulfonyl chloride in 5 minutes at 5°-10° C. Stirring was conducted for 1 hour at the same temperature. 20 ml of water and 20 ml of chloroform were added thereto. The resulting organic layer was separated and washed with 20 ml of 2N hydrochloric acid and 200 ml of water. The organic layer was mixed with a 5% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. The aqueous layer was separated and adjusted to pH 2 with 6N hydrochloric acid. 50 ml of ethyl acetate was added thereto. The organic layer was separated, washed with water and a saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution in this order, and dried with anhydrous magnesium sulfate. The solvent was removed by distillation under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by a column chromatography [eluant: a 10 : 1 mixture of toluene and ethyl acetate] to obtain 1.29 g (yield: 81.6%) of 3-methylsulfonylamino-4-(4-methoxyphenoxy)phenol.
