To a solution of 5-chloropyridin-3-yl trifluoromethanesulfonate (1.73 g) in toluene (15 mL) were added phenylmethanethiol (861 mg), N,N-diisopropylethylamine (1.88 g), tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0) (121 mg) and 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-9,9-dimethylxanthene (153 mg), and the mixture was stirred under an argon atmosphere at 80° C. for 3 hr. The reaction mixture was filtered through silica gel, and the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluent: hexane→hexane-ethyl acetate=19:1) to give the title compound as a yellow oil (yield 1.63 g, quantitative).
