N-(4-chlorophenethyl)-4-hydroxybenzamide (1.5 g, 5.4 mmol) was diluted with DMSO (15 mL) followed by the addition of K2CO3 (0.89 g, 6.4 mmol) and 3-bromo-4-fluorobenzaldehyde (1.0 g, 4.9 mmol). The reaction was stirred at 85° C. overnight and then cooled to ambient temperature. The reaction mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate and washed with twice with 10% sodium carbonate, water and brine, and then concentrated. The crude material was purified by silica gel chromatography eluting with hexanes:ethyl acetate (1:1) and then 100% ethyl acetate to yield N-(4-chlorophenethyl)-4-(2-bromo-4-formylphenoxy)benzamide (1.6 g, 71% yield).
