Benzyl 4-Hydroxybenzoate → Benzyl 4-(4-nitro-3-benzyloxyphenoxy)benzoate

24.7 g of 5-fluoro-2-nitrophenyl benzyl ether (0.1 mol) are dissolved in 250 ml of dimethyl sulfoxide, and a solution of 26.6 g of potassium salt of benzyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (0.1 mol) in 250 ml of dimethyl sulfoxide is then slowly added dropwise with stirring at room temperature. The mixture is then stirred first at room temperature for 1 hour and then at 50° C. for 24 hours. The reaction solution is then allowed to cool to room temperature and is filtered through a fluted filter, the filtrate is diluted with 700 ml of water, and the crude product is washed by shaking with 300 ml of ethyl acetate. The organic phase is then washed three times with water, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated in a rotary evaporator until the reaction product precipitates out. The reaction product is stirred in petroleum ether (boiling range 40 to 60° C. for 2 hours, filtered off via a Buchner funnel and then dried for 48 hours under nitrogen at 40° C./10 mbar in a vacuum drying cabinet (yield: 91%).