To a mixture of 8-chloro-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazine (Example #6, Step A, 3.96 g, 16 mmol) in dioxane (80 mL) was added water (15.4 mL), sodium carbonate (EM Science, 5.08 g, 48 mmol), tri-t-butylphosphine tetrafluoroborate (Strem, 0.46 g, 1.6 mmol), and tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0) (0.73 g, 0.8 mmol). The reaction was degassed with nitrogen and then vinylboronic acid pinacolester (5.44 mL, 32 mmol) was added. The mixture was heated to about 95° C. for about 16 h. The reaction was cooled, EtOAc was added (250 mL), and the mixture was washed with water. The organic layer was dried over sodium sulfate, filtered, and evaporated. The residue was purified by FCC (33%-50% EtOAc/heptane). The residue was triturated with heptane and filtered to yield the title compound as a brown solid (2.46 g, 62%): LC/MS (Table 1, Method b) Rt=2.74 min; MS m/z: 240.3 (M+H)+.
