Benzyl Bromide → (S)-2-methyl-3-bromo-1-benzyloxypropane

The starting material, 3-(2-(2-(nonafluorobutoxy)tetrafluoroethoxy)-2,2-difluoroethoxy))-(R)-2-fluoropropyloxy)-(R)-2-methylpropane-1-methanesulfonate, was prepared as follows: (S)-2-methyl-3-bromopropanol was alkylated with benzyl bromide to produce (S)-2-methyl-3-bromo-1-benzyloxypropane, which was then combined with 3-(2-(2-(nonafluorobutoxy)tetrafluoroethoxy)-2,2-difluoroethoxy))-(R)-2-fluoropropanol, followed by hydrogenation with 10% Pd/C to remove the benzyl protecting group. The title compound was prepared by combining 5-hexyloxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)pyrimidine (0.7 g, 2.58 mmol) and 3-(2-(2-(nonafluorobutoxy)tetrafluoroethoxy)-2,2-difluoroethoxy))-(R)-2-fluoropropyloxy)-(R)-2-methylpropane-1-methanesulfonate (1.7 g, 2.58 mmol) essentially as described in Example 8 of International Patent Publication No. WO 96/33251. The resulting crude product was further purified by chromatography, eluting with 10:1 hexanes/ethyl acetate, and was recrystallized from heptane, followed by Kugelrohr distillation (b.p. 180-190° C. at 0.02 torr; yield 1.28 g).