To a solution of ethyl 5-iodo-4-(methylsulfonamido)-2-(methylthio)benzoate (crude, from step 2) in dry toluene (200 mL) at 0° C. was added diisobutylaluminium hydride (1.0 M in toluene, 100 mL, 100 mmol) slowly. After addition, the mixture was stirred at 0° C. for 3 h and quenched with methanol/H2O (1/1). The reaction mixture was poured into a vigorously stirred solution of potassium sodium tartrate (1M, 300 mL) and stirred vigorously for 2 h, after which time it settled to two clear phases. The organic layer was separated, and the aqueous layer was extracted with EtOAc (3×200 mL). The combined organic solution was washed with brine, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated in vacuo. The crude product was purified by silica gel chromatography (0-40% EtOAc/Hexanes) to afford N-(4-(hydroxymethyl)-2-iodo-5-(methylthio)phenyl)methanesulfonamide (11.9 g, 80% yield for two steps). LC-MS m/z 356 [M+H]+. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ 7.82 (s, 1H), 7.49 (s, 1H), 4.67 (s, 2H), 2.99 (s, 3H), 2.50 (s, 3H).
