To a solution of 3-methoxy-3-(4-phenylphenyl)butan-1-ol (2.04 g, 8.0 mmole, prepared in Example 8, Part B above) and triethylamine (1.51 g, 15 mmole) in acetone (10 mL) at 0° was added in one portion a solution of p-toluenesulfonyl chloride (2.85 g, 15 mmole) in acetone (4 mL). The resultant suspension was warmed to 20° C. and stirred at that temperature for 14 hours, then diluted with diethyl ether (40 mL). The resultant precipitate (triethylamine hydrochloride) was removed by filtration and the filtrate was evaporated to dryness to give a crude product, which was purified by column chromatography on silica gel, eluting with a 1:1 v/v hexanes:dichloromethane mixture to give the desired product (2.87 g, 87% yield) of colorless solid. Less pure fractions were combined to provide an additional 0.147 g of colorless solid which was crystallized from hexanes (10 mL), furnishing colorless fine matted needles weighing 0.070 g; melting point 69-70.5° C.
