To a room temperature, degassed solution of 3-Bromo-5-fluoro-benzoic acid ethyl ester (4.0 g, 16.2 mmol) in dioxane (100 mL) was added 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-9,9-dimethylxanthene (0.48 g, 0.82 mmol), 4-methoxy-benzylmercaptan (2.26 mL, 16.2 mmol), DIEA (5.6 mL, 32.4 mmol), and tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0) (0.37 g, 0.41 mmol). The resulting mixture was warmed to 90° C. and stirred for 2 hrs, then cooled to room temperature. The mixture was subjected to standard aqueous workup, and the crude residue was filtered through a pad of silica gel to afford the title compound.
