To 8 ml of a 1:1 mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide and dichloromethane stirring in a dry ice/isopropanol bath under nitrogen was added dropwise oxalyl chloride (321 μl, 3.69 mmol) After stirring for 10 minutes, a solution of 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]-1H-imidazole-4-methanol (Example 158) (670 mg, 1.85 mmol) in 25 ml of a 1:1 mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide and dichloromethane. Stirring was continued while warming to 0° C., where it was maintained for 15 minutes. Triethylamine (1.87 g, 18.5 mmol) was added, and the mixture was stirred overnight while warming to room temperature. The mixture was partitioned between dichloromethane and water, the organic layer was washed with water and then brine, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered, and evaporated. Chromatography of the residue over silica gel using mixtures of ethyl acetate and hexane gave the title compound as an off-white solid (330 mg): mp (DSC) 203° C. Anal. Calc'd. for C17H13ClN2O3S (MW 360.82): C, 56.59; H, 3.63; N, 7.76. Found: C, 56.24; H, 3.62; N, 7.50.
