A solution of 4-(adamantan-1-ylmethoxy)-3-bromobenzonitrile (6.93 g, 20.00 mmol), cyclopropylboronic acid (2.58 g, 30.00 mmol) and potassium phosphate (19.10 g, 90.00 mmol) in toluene (100 mL) and water (5 mL) was bubbled with a nitrogen atmosphere for 10 min, tricyclohexylphosphine tetrafluoroborate (0.74 g, 2.00 mmol) and palladium acetate (0.23 g, 1.00 mmol) was added to this reaction mixture. The reaction mixture was heated to 100° C. for 18 h and then cooled to ambient temperature. Water (50 mL) was added and the mixture, extracted with ethyl acetate (100 mL×3), the combined organics were washed with brine; dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was titrated in methanol (50 mL), the solid was filtered and dried to give the title compound as a colorless solid (5.70 g, 92%): 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3) δ 7.43-7.38 (m, 1H), 7.11-7.10 (m, 1H), 6.82-6.78 (m, 1H), 3.52 (s, 2H), 2.16-1.98 (m, 4H), 1.00-1.64 (m, 12H), 0.99-0.91 (m, 2H), 0.66-0.59 (m, 2H); MS (ES+) m/z: 308.2 (M+1).
