To a solution of 0.143 g 4-(4-chloro-phenyl)-5-fluoro-pyrimidine-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester in 1.5 ml dried DMSO was added 192 mg of cesium carbonate and 0.059 g of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol and the mixture was stirred at 60° C. for 2 hours. The reaction mixture was partitioned between water and ethyl acetate, the phases were separated and the organic phase was dried with MgSO4 and purified by chromatography on silica gel with a gradient of heptane:ethyl acetate=9:1 to 1:1 to yield 161 mg (86.60%) of the title compound as white solid, MS 347.1 (M+H)+.
