3-Bromo-1-methylpyridin-4(1H)-one hydrobromide (640 mg) was suspended in toluene (10 ml) and water (5 ml), and [4-(methoxycarbonyl)phenyl]boronic acid (642 mg), sodium carbonate (757 mg) and tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (138 mg) were added, followed by stirring under heating in an oil bath at 100° C. for 3 hours. The reaction mixture was filtered through Celite, followed by extraction with ethyl acetate. The organic layer was concentrated under reduced pressure, and the residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography (FUJI SILYSIA CHEMICAL Ltd., the same shall apply hereinunder) (chloroform:methanol=90:10) to obtain methyl 4-(1-methyl-4-oxo-1,4-dihydropyridin-3-yl)benzoate (118 mg).
