Using a method similar to Example 22, 8.0 g (0.032 mol) of (2), 5.85 g (0.038 mol) of 4-dimethylaminophenylboronic acid and 7.4 g (0.07 mol) of sodium carbonate were placed in 122 ml of dimethoxyethane and 37 ml of water in the reaction vessel, the mixture was degassed a number of times and saturated with argon. 142 mg (0.6 mmol) of palladium acetate and 385 mg (1.3 mmol) of tris(o-tolylphenyl)phosphine were added and the reaction mixture was stirred for 4 hours at 80° C. After addition of 150 ml of water, the mixture was extracted 4 times with 100 ml each time of diethyl ether, the ether phase was washed twice with 50 ml each time of water and dried over magnesium sulfate. Removal of the solvent and column filtration through neutral aluminum oxide (dichloromethane) gave 6.5 g of 2-methyl-7-(4-dimethylamino-phenyl)-1-indanone as an oil.
