Sodium borohydride → (2-{[(3,5-Bis-trifluoromethyl-benzyl)-(2-methyl-2H-tetrazol-5-yl)-amino]-methyl}-4-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-cyclohexyl-methanol

A solution of (2-{[(3,5-bis-trifluoromethyl-benzyl)-(2-methyl-2H-tetrazol-5-yl)-amino]-methyl}-4-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-cyclohexyl-methanone (152 mg; 0.256 mmol) and sodium borohydride (22 mg; 0.582 mmol) in methanol (1.5 mL) was stirred at room temperature for 16 hours. The solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure. The residue was taken up in ethyl acetate, washed twice with water and then brine. The organic layer was dried sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified over 12 g RediSep column (Teledyne Isco Inc., Lincoln Nebr.) (eluted with 20-50% ethyl acetate in heptane) to give 152 mg (99.7% yield) of the title compound as a colorless gum. MS (ES+): Calc: 595.5, Found: 596.1 (M+H). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ ppm 7.78 (s, 1H), 7.66 (s, 2H), 7.57 (d, J=8.30 Hz, 1H), 7.55 (d, J=8.30 Hz, 1H), 7.36 (s, 1H), 4.88 (d, J=15.77 Hz, 1H), 4.79 (d, J=15.77 Hz, 1H), 4.76 (d, J=15.77 Hz, 1H), 4.70 (d, J=16.18 Hz, 1H), 4.66 (d, J=7.05 Hz, 1H), 4.21 (s, 3H), 2.20 (bs, 1H), 1.94 (d, J=12.45 Hz, 1H), 1.78 (m, 1H), 1.69-1.51 (m, 4H), 1.2-0.88 (m, 4H).