To a solution of (E)-1-bromo-2-phenyl-1-(trimethylsilyl)-1-butene (Miller R. B., Al-Hassam, M. I. J. Org. Chem. 1985, 50, 2121-2123) (1) (4.4 g, 15.5 mmol) in DME (50 mL) was added 4-fluorobenzene boronic acid (2.63 g, 18.9 mmol), tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (1.0 g, 0.9 mmol), and 2N aqueous sodium carbonate(9.5 mL, 19 mmol). After refluxing overnight the solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the residue was chromatographed (silica gel, hexanes) to give (2) as a white solid (4.2 g, 91%): 1 H NMR (CDCl3) δ 7.30 (m, 3 H), 7.19 (m, 2 H), 7.00 (m, 4 H), 2.12 (q, J=7.7 Hz, 2 H), 0.72 (t, J=7.7 Hz, 3 H), −0.35 (s, 9 H).
