A mixture of 1-(4-Bromo-2,6-dichloro-benzyl)-3-(4-methoxy-cyclohexyl)-pyrrolidin-2-one (0.4 g, 0.92 mmol) and 4-fluorophenylboronic acid (0.19 g, 1.38 mmol) in THF (15 mL) and water (5 mL) and sodium carbonate (0.29, 0.75 g) is purged with N2. Treat the reaction with Pd(PPh3)4 (0.05 g, 0.046 mmol) and heat to 80° C. for 2 hour under N2. Cool the reaction, dilute with ethyl acetate, and wash with HCl (1N) and water. Dry the organic layer (Na2SO4), remove the solvent in vacuo to afford crude product, and purify with a 35% ethyl acetate in hexanes to afford 0.45 g of the titled product. MS (m/z): 451 (M+).
