In a microwave vial a mixture of 2-bromo-5-nitroanisole (600 mg, 2.53 mmol), potassium acetate (377 mg, 3.80 mmol) and tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)-palladium(0) (148 mg, 0.13 mmol) in N,N-dimethylacetamide (8 mL) was flushed with nitrogene while 2,4-dimethylthiazole (1.47 g, 12.7 mmol) was added. The tube was sealed and the mixture irradiated for 30 minutes at 170° C. The red-brown mixture was partitioned between ethyl acetate and water. The aqueous layer was re-extracted with ethyl acetate. The combined organic phases were washed with water, with brine, dried with magnesium sulfate and the solvent was evaporated to dryness. Column chromatography (40 g silica, heptane/ethyl acetate 7:3 v/v) afforded the title compound (415 mg, 62%) as a yellow solid. MS ISP (m/e): 265.1 (100) [(M+H)+]. 1H NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz): δ (ppm)=7.90 (dd, 1H), 7.81 (d, 1H), 7.45 (d, 1H), 3.95 (s, 3H), 2.71 (s, 3H), 2.35 (s, 3H). mp 123-125° C.
