A solution of the product from Example 11, 4-(4-Fluorophenyl)-5-[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]-3(2H)-pyridazinone (344 mg, 1.0 mmol), 4-bromothioanisole (812 mg, 4.0 mmol), and copper (70 mg, 1.1 mmol) in 20 mL of pyridine was stirred at reflux under a nitrogen atmosphere for 18 hours. After cooling to room temperature, the reaction mixture was diluted with a mixture of water and ethyl acetate. The two layers were filtered through Celite®, and separated. The organic layer was washed with 10% aqueous citric acid, with brine, dried over MgSO4, and filtered. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and the residue purified by column chromatography (silica gel, 93:7 dichloromethane/ethyl acetate) to provide the title compound as a foam (yield: 380 mg, 81.5%). 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3) δ 2.55 (s, 3H), 3.05 (s, 3H), 6.98 (t, J=9 Hz, 2H), 7.22 (dd, J=9 Hz, 6 Hz, 2H), 7.38 (dd, J=8 Hz, 2 Hz, 4H), 7.64 (d, J=9 Hz, 2H), 7.91 (d, J=9 Hz, 2H), 7.98 (s, 1H). MS (DCI/NH3) m/z 467 (M+H)+. Anal. calc. for C24H19FN2O3S2.0.5 H2O: C, 60.63; H, 4.21; N, 5.90. Found: C, 60.72; H, 3.78; N, 5.99.
