Water → (6-Fluorobenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)methanol

16.5 mg of lithium borohydride were added to a solution of 106.1 mg of methyl (6-fluorobenzothiazol-2-yl)formate [prepared as described in step (a) above] in 2.1 ml of methanol cooled in an ice-water bath, and the resulting mixture was stirred at the same temperature for 10 minutes. At the end of this time a further 10 mg of lithium borohydride were added to the reaction mixture which was then stirred at the same temperature for a further 10 minutes. Water was then added to the reaction mixture and the resulting mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate. The resulting extract was washed consecutively with water and an aqueous sodium chloride solution and then dried over sodium sulfate. The solvent was then removed by evaporation under reduced pressure to give 93.1 mg of the title compound as a crude white crystalline solid.