To a solution of potassium hydroxide (12.0 g) in water (10 g) was added, with stirring, 2-cyanophenol (13.2 g). The resulting solution was added, over 5 minutes, to (E)-methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3-methoxypropenoate (32.8 g) at 95° C. and the temperature was maintained at 95-100° C. during the addition. Tetrabutylammonium bromide (1.5 g) was then added and the resulting mixture stirred for 20 hours at 95-100° C. The reaction mixture was mixed with water and toluene and the organic layer separated. The toluene solution contained (E)-methyl 2-[2-(6-(2-cyanophenoxy)pyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3-methoxypropenoate (72.6% yield).
