To a 0° C. solution of 4′-(trifluoromethyl)biphenyl-4-ol (133 mg, 0.56 mmol), methyl 6-(1-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl)nicotinate (150 mg, 0.67 mmol) and triphenylphosphine (147 mg, 0.56 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (2 mL) was added diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (113 mg, 0.56 mmol). The reaction was stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction was washed with brine (10 mL), dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated. Purification by column chromatography gave methyl 6-(3-methyl-1-(4′-(trifluoromethyl)biphenyl-4-yloxy)butyl)nicotinate. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3, δ): 9.19 (s, 1H), 8.25-8.23 (d, 1H), 7.63-7.61 (d, 2H), 7.58-7.56 (d, 2H), 7.49-7.47 (d, 1H), 7.44-7.43 (d, 2H), 6.93-6.90 (d, 2H), 5.40-5.37 (m, 1H), 3.93 (s, 3H), 2.00-1.93 (m, 2H), 1.75-1.70 (m, 1H), 1.03-0.96 (m, 6H).
