A mixture of 2′-benzyloxybiphenyl boronic acid (50 mg, 0.16 mmol), ethyl 2-bromo-4-chlorobenzoate (66 mg, 0.25 mmol), potassium carbonate (88 mg, 0.64 mmol) and tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (10 mg, 5 mol %) in 1:1 toluene/ethanol (2 ml) was stirred and heated at 90° C. under nitrogen for 12 hours. After cooling the mixture was diluted with diethyl ether and water and the organic phase dried (MgSO4) and evaporated to dryness. The residue was chromatographed with ethyl acetate/iso-hexane (1:9) to yield the title compound as a pale yellow gum. (46 mg, 66%).
