Potassium Carbonate → 4-(2-Chloroethylamino)-3-nitro-benzoic Acid Methyl Ester

To a solution of 4-fluoro-3-nitro-benzoic acid methyl ester (10.0 g, 0.0502 mol) in dry DMF (100 mL) was added with stirring potassium carbonate (59.0 g, 0.43 mol) followed by 2-chloroethylamine hydrochloride (8.7 g, 0.075 mol) and the mixture was stirred for 15 h at ambient temperature. The reaction mixture was diluted with ice water (500 mL) and the solid precipitated was filtered, washed with water and dried under vacuum to get a yellow solid (12.7 g, 98%). MS-ESI m/z 259 (M+1).