To a mixture of palladium (II) acetate (6 mg, 0.027 mmol), 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazoliumchloride (9 mg, 0.026 mmol) and Cs2CO3 (266 mg, 0.816 mmol) in 1,4-dioxane (1 mL) was added ethyl [(4-{[1-(6-bromo-2-pyridinyl)-2-(ethyloxy)ethyl]thio}-2-methylphenyl)oxy]acetate (125 mg, 0.275 mmol) in 1,4-dioxane (1.75 mL) and the resulting mixture stirred under nitrogen at ambient temperature for 10 min. 2-[4-(Trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-1,3,2-dioxaborolane (69 mg, 0.300 mmol) was then added and the resulting mixture heated to 85° C. and kept at this temperature for 16 h. The reaction mixture was then reduced and the residue partitioned between EtOAc (15 mL) and saturated aqueous NH4Cl (15 mL) and the layers separated. The aqueous layer was then re-extracted with EtOAc (15 mL) and the combined organic layers washed with brine (50 mL) dried (MgSO4) and filtered. The mixture was then reduced under vacuum and the resulting residue purified by SPE (silica, 10 g cartridge), eluting with cyclohexane:EtOAc (gradient 50:1 to 3:1). Further purification by mass directed autoprep HPLC afforded the title compound as an oil (35 mg).
