A flask was charged with 2-bromo-5-nitropyridine (4 g, 19.71 mmol), 4-chlorophenylboronic acid (4.54 g, 27.6 mmol), Pd(PPh3)4 (1.139 g, 0.985 mmol), potassium carbonate (8.16 g, 59.1 mmol), dioxane (40 ml) and water (20 ml) at room temperature. The flask was sealed, flushed with nitrogen for three times and heated at 100° C. for 3 hours. The reaction mixture was diluted with EtOAc (100 ml) and filtered. The filtrate was concentrated. The residue was washed with water by filtration. The afforded solid was dissolved in EtOAc (200 ml) and washed with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution and brine, dried over Na2SO4, concentrated, and dried under vacuum to afford crude 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-nitropyridine (4.8 g, 75% purity, 78% yield) as yellow solid. 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) ppm 7.27-7.36 (m, 4H) 7.51-7.61 (m, 3H).
