Nitrogen was bubbled through a mixture of N-[3-(3-fluorophenyl)-4-iodo-1H-pyrazol-5-yl]acetamide (10.8 g, 44 mmol), phenyl acetylene (12.5 g, 123 mmol), triethylamine (100 mL) and DMF (40 mL) for 15 min. Copper iodide (840 mg, 4.42 mmol) and bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) dichloride (1.5 g, 2.1 mmol) were added and the reaction mixture was stirred at 90° C. under nitrogen for 6 h. The reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature, diluted with ethyl acetate and water. The organic phase was washed with water and brine, dried (MgSO4), filtered and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was purified by column chromatography (silica gel, isohexane/ethyl acetate 1:0 to 0:1) yielding the title compound as a solid (4 g).
