A mixture of 2-benzyloxy-5-bromophenylacetic acid (261 mg, 0.813 mmol), 4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl boronic acid (218 mg, 1.056 mmol), [1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene]dichloropalladium(II) (43 mg, 0.057 mmol), potassium carbonate (169 mg, 1.22 mmol), dioxane (4 ml) and water (0.5 ml) was stirred at 80° C. for 2 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature, and the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure. Ethyl acetate was added to the residue, and the solution was filtered through celite. The residue obtained by concentration of the filtrate under reduced pressure was purified by column chromatography on silica gel (n-hexane:ethyl acetate=3:2) to give the title compound (160 mg, 48.9%) as a white solid.
