To a round-bottomed flask were added 4-[(4-bromophenyl)(cycloheptylidene) methyl]-2-fluorophenol (133) (0.30 g, 0.80 mmol), ethyl acrylate (0.88 mL, 8.00 mmol), dichlorobis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) (0.056 g, 0.08 mmol), triethylamine (0.56 mL, 4.00 mmol) and DMF (10 mL). The stirred reaction mixture was heated overnight at 100° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere. The reaction mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature and transferred to a separatory funnel with the aid of water and EtOAc (100 mL). The layers were separated and the organic phase was washed with water, brine, dried over Na2SO4, filtered, and the filtrate was concentrated to give reddish brown oil. The crude product was purified by chromatography on a silica gel column eluted with a gradient from hexanes to 15% EtOAc:hexanes to give 0.22 g (70%) of compound 134 as a colorless viscous oil. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ 1.33 (t, J=7.1 Hz, 3H), 1.57 (br s, 8H), 2.25-2.35 (m, 4H), 4.25 (q, J=7.1 Hz, 2H), 4.99 (d, J=4.0 Hz, 1H), 6.39 (d, J=15.9 Hz, 1H), 6.75-6.88 (m, 2H), 6.91 (t, J=8.7 Hz, 1H), 7.14 (d, J=8.2 Hz, 2H), 7.44 (d, J=8.1 Hz, 2H), 7.65 (d, J=16.0 Hz, 1H). LCMS (ES): m/z, 395 (M+H)+, 393 (M−H)−.
