Methyl iodide → 2-chloro-N-methyl-5-nitroaniline

To a suspension of sodium hydride (60% in oil, 1.2 g, 30 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (100 ml), cooled in an ice bath, was added slowly a solution of 2-chloro-5-nitroaniline (5 g, 29 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (10 ml) followed by a solution of iodomethane (1.8 ml, 29 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (10 ml). After stirring at room temperature for 20 hours, the mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure and the residue was partitioned between dichloromethane (100 ml) and water (100 ml). The organic layer was washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution (50 ml), dried over sodium sulfate, and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by flash chromatography on silica gel eluting with dichloromethane-hexane (1:3) and recrystalized (ethyl ether) to provide (2-chloro-5-nitro-phenyl)-methyl-amine (1.8 g, 33% yield) as orange crystals.