3-Cyano-5-fluorophenylboronic acid (83 mg, 0.50 mmol) was added to 7′-bromo-5″-methyl-3′,4′-dihydrodispiro[cyclopropane-1,2′-naphthalene-1′,2″-imidazol]-4″-amine (Example 1, 100 mg, 0.31 mmol) in dry 2-Me THF (2.85 mL), followed by aq. potassium carbonate (2.0 M, 0.471 mL, 0.94 mmol). Argon was bubbled through the mixture for one min. and then sodium tetrachloropalladate(II) (9.3 mg, 0.03 mmol) and 3-(di-tert-butylphosphonium)propane sulfonate (16.9 mg, 0.06 mmol) were added and the mixture was heated in a microwave reactor for 60 min at 100° C. Water, brine, 2-Me THF and EtOAc were added to the mixture and the phases were separated. The aqueous phase was extracted with EtOAc. The combined organic phases were washed with brine and water. The organic phase was dried (Na2SO4), filtered and concentrated. Recrystallization from MeOH and CHCl3 and purification by preparative HPLC gave the title compound (96 mg, 85% yield).
