A mixture of 5.0 g of 3-(3-chloropropyl)-6-fluoro-1,2-benzisoxazole, 4.0 g of 1-(4-fluorophenyl)piperazine, 10 g of potassium carbonate and a few crystals potassium iodide in 70 ml of dimethylformamide was stirred at 80° C. for 4.5 hr. The mixture was cooled, filtered and concentrated to an oil, which was stirred with water and extracted with ethyl acetate-ether. The organic extracts were washed with water (2×), saturated sodium chloride solution, and dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate. The mixture was filtered and concentrated. The residue was purified by column chromatography (silica gel, tetrahydrofuran) to give an oil. The oil was converted to 4.5 g (45%) of product by treatment with oxalic acid. Two recrystallizations from ethyl acetate/methanol gave the analytical sample, mo 186°-187° C. (dec).
