A mixture of ethyl 4-(2-fluorophenyl)-2-(methylthio)pyrimidine-5-carboxylate (3.3 g, 10.96 mmol), solid NaOH (3.2 g) in ethanol (30 mL) and water (6 mL) was refluxed for 1 h. and cooled to room temperature. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure, and the residue was acidified with 6N HCl. The product was extracted with EtOAC (3×50 mL), and the organic extracts were dried and concentrated to give crude acids (1.6 g). A solution of 2 M oxalyl chloride in CH2Cl2 (3.00 mL, 6 mmol) was added to a stirred solution of the crude acids (1.6 g) in CH2Cl2 (25 mL) and DMF (1 mL) at room temperature, and stirring continued for 15 min. A solution of N-(3-methoxybenzyl)propan-2-amine, (1.07 g, 6.00 mmol) in CH2Cl2(2 mL) and diisopropylethylamine (2 mL, 12 mmol) was added and stirred for 1 hr. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the residue was purified by Biotage SP1 on packed silica gel column (10%-80% EtOAc/Hexanes gradient) to give N-(3-methoxybenzyl)-4-(2-fluorophenyl)-N-isopropyl-2(methylthio)pyrimidine-5-carboxamide (0.6 g, 13%). Mass Spec. FIA MS 426 (M+1).
