To a high pressure reactor were added N-(4-bromobenzyl)-5-((5-methylpyridin-2-yl)methoxy)-2-nitroaniline (78.4 g, 183 mmol), 5% Pt/C (35.7 g, 4.6 mmol), zinc iodide (5.84 g, 18.3 mmol) and ethyl acetate (1.5 L). The reactor was flushed with N2 and then stirred under an atmosphere of H2 (60 psi) for 18 h. The mixture was then filtered, washed with water (1 L), dried over magnesium sulfate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure to afford the title compound as an oil (60.4 g, 83%). MS (ESI): mass calcd. for C20H20BrN3O, 397.1; m/z found, 398.0 [M+H]+. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 8.46-8.32 (m, 1H), 7.52-7.40 (m, 3H), 7.34 (d, J=8.0, 1H), 7.25-7.19 (m, 2H), 6.64 (d, J=8.1, 1H), 6.30-6.21 (m, 2H), 5.06 (s, 2H), 4.24 (s, 2H), 2.75 (bs, 2H), 2.32 (s, 3H).
