To a stirred solution of 2-Methoxy-5-acetylbenzoic acid (Step B, 2.5 g, 12.8 mmol), HOBt.H2O (2.08 g, 15.4 mmol), and EDC (3.70 g, 19.3 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (20 ml) and DMF (5 ml) was added 4-(Trifluoromethyl)benzylamine (2.48 g, 14.1 mmol), and the mixture was stirred for 16 hours at room temperature. The reaction mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure and then redissolved in ethyl acetate. The organic layer was washed with 3% K2CO3, 1 N HCl, and brine, dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated. The purification was done by flash chromatography on silica gel column (chloroform:methanol 95:5) to provide the title compound as white solid.
