To a solution of 5-bromo-2,4-dichloropyrimidine (753.6 mg, 3.307 mmol, Matrix Chemicals) in tetrahydrofuran (20 mL) cooled to −30° C. was added dropwise isopropylmagnesium chloride. The temperature was maintained below −25° C. throughout the addition. At the end of addition, the reaction mixture was stirred at −30° C. for 20 minutes and a solution of 3-(tert-butyl-dimethyl-silanyloxy)-5,6-difluoro-2-methoxy-benzaldehyde (1 g, 3.307 mmol, Example 266) in tetrahydrofuran was added dropwise. The temperature was maintained below −25° C. throughout the addition. The reaction mixture was allowed to warm up to 0° C. after the addition was completed. After being stirred at 0° C. for 45 minutes, saturated solution of ammonium chloride (˜3 mL) was added. The mixture was taken up in water and ethyl acetate. The aqueous layer was extracted with ethyl acetate. The combined organic layers were washed with brine and dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate. The solids were filtered off and the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo. Purification of the crude residue by flash chromatography (Biotage system, 60 Å silica gel, eluting with 5-10% ethyl acetate in hexanes) yielded [3-(tert-butyl-dimethyl-silanyloxy)-5,6-difluoro-2-methoxy-phenyl]-(2,4-dichloro-pyrimidin-5-yl)-methanol as white solids (965 mg, 65%). LR-MS (M+) 451.1.
