Hydrochloric Acid → (2R,3R)-2-(2,3-difluorophenyl)-3-[[1-(hydroxymethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl]thio]-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-2-butanol

30 ml (30 mmol) of 1 N hydrochloric acid were added to a solution of 3.35 g of crude (2R,3R)-2-(2,3-difluorophenyl)-3-[(trans-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxan-5-yl)thio]-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-2-butanol [prepared as described in Step 7(v) above] in 45 ml of toluene. The resulting mixture was heated at 50° C. for 6 hours. At the end of this time, the aqueous layer was separated. The oily layer was then extracted twice with a dilute hydrochloric acid solution. The aqueous layers were then combined and sodium hydrogen carbonate was carefully added in small portions to the solution until the evolution of carbon dioxide gas had ceased. The reaction mixture was then extracted with ethyl acetate and the extract was concentrated under reduced pressure to afford the title compound as a solid. The solid was washed with a 2:1 mixture of ethyl acetate and hexane and 1.54 g [overall yield from Step 7(v) 61%] of the title compound were collected by filtration.