To a solution of ice-cooled ethyl 3-(3-fluoro-4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoate (0.19 g, 0.88 mmol), (4-phenoxyphenyl)methanol (0.12 g, 0.58 mmol) and triphenylphosphine (0.23 g, 0.88 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (5 mL) was added dropwise diethyl azodicarboxylate (a 40% solution in toluene, 0.40 mL, 0.88 mmol), and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 4 hours. To the reaction solution was added water, and the reaction mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate. The extract was washed with water, and then concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified with silica gel column chromatography (hexane/ethyl acetate=8:2) to give the title compound (0.16 g, yield 71%) as an oily matter.
