A suspension of (4-bromomethylphenyl)boronic acid (2.0 g, 9.3 mmol) and sodium methanesulfinate (1.4 g, 14 mmol) in Ethanol (30 mL) was heated at 60° C. for 24 hours. The mixture was evaporated to dryness and the residue was suspended in water. The precipitate was filtered, rinsed with water and air dried. The reaction product was isolated as an off-white solid (1.18 g, 59%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, (D3C)2SO, δ, ppm): 8.09 (s, 2H), 7.79 (d, J=7.9 Hz, 2H), 7.37 (d, J=7.9 Hz, 2H), 4.47 (s, 2H), 2.88 (s, 3H). MS=135 (M—SO2CH3)+. 48b) 8-(4-Methanesulfonylmethyl-phenyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-ylamine was prepared from 8-bromo-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-ylamine (200.0 mg, 0.9388 mmol) and (4-methanesulfonylmethylphenyl)boronic acid (240.0 mg, 1.121 mmol) with Pd(dppf)Cl2 (130.0 mg) as the catalyst in a manner analogous to Step 2c. The reaction product was isolated as a pale yellow solid (0.051 g, 18%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, (D3C)2SO, δ, ppm): 8.56 (dd, J=6.6, 1.0 Hz, 1H), 8.12 (d, J=8.3 Hz, 2H), 7.73 (dd, J=7.5, 1.0 Hz, 1H), 7.52 (d, J=8.3 Hz, 2H), 6.99 (dd, J=7.3, 7.3 Hz, 1H), 6.11 (s, 1H), 4.55 (s, 2H), 2.94 (s, 3H). MS=303 (MH)+. 48c) [8-(4-Methanesulfonylmethyl-phenyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-yl]-[4-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-phenyl]-amine was prepared from 8-(4-methanesulfonylmethyl-phenyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-ylamine (50.0 mg, 0.165 mmol) and 1-(4-bromo-phenyl)-4-methyl-piperazine (51.0 mg, 0.200 mmol) with 2,2′-bis-dicyclohexylphosphanyl-biphenyl (20.0 mg, 0.0366 mmol) as the ligand in a manner analogous to Step 2d. The title compound was isolated as a yellow foam (0.009 g, 11%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3, δ, ppm): 8.44-8.40 (m, 1H), 8.08 (d, J=8.1 Hz, 2H), 7.60-7.54 (m, 3H), 7.51-7.46 (m, 2H), 7.00-6.93 (m, 3H), 6.70 (s, 1H), 4.32 (s, 2H), 3.21-3.14 (m, 4H), 2.83 (s, 3H), 2.66-2.56 (m, 4H), 2.37 (s, 3H). MS=477 (MH)+.
