8.1 mL (12 mmol) of a 1.5 M solution of tBuLi in heptane was added to a stirred solution of 1.1 g (5.5 mmol) of N-(4-fluorophenyl)thiazol-2-amine in 20 mL of THF at −20° C. The solution was stirred for 30 min and then cooled to −78° C. before 1.3 g (6.6 mmol) of 5-bromo-2-chloropyrimidine was added. The reaction solution was stirred for 30 min at −78° C., then quenched by addition of 0.2 mL of AcOH in 1 mL of MeOH. Solid 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (10.4 g, 46 mmol) and 5 mL of MeOH were added and the reaction solution was warmed to 0° C. and stirred for 30 min, poured into 50 mL of a 0.5 M solution of sodium ascorbate, diluted with 200 mL of water and the crude product removed by filtration and washed repeatedly with water. The crude product was purified by flash chromatography eluting with a linear gradient of 10% EtOAc in hexane to 80% EtOAc in hexane to deliver the desired compound. MS (M+H)+ 387.
