To a degassed solution of 4-[(4-Iodophenyl)(3,3,5,5-tetramethylcyclohexylidene)methyl]phenol (144) (0.20 g, 0.45 mmol) in DMF (5 mL) were added Pd(PPh3)2Cl2 (32 mg, 0.05 mmol), CuI (9 mg, 0.05 mmol), N,N-diisopropylethylamine (0.36 mL, 2.02 mmol) and 3-butyn-1-ol (70 μL, 0.90 mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight, poured into saturated aqueous NH4Cl (15 mL) and water (5 mL), extracted with ethyl acetate (2×50 mL). The combined organic phase washed with water, brine, dried over Na2SO4, filtered, and the filtrate was concentrated to give the crude product as brown oil. The crude product was purified by chromatography on a silica gel column eluted with a gradient from hexanes to 40% EtOAc in hexanes to give a light brown solid. The solid was triturated with hot hexanes containing 2% MeOH and 2% CH2Cl2 to afford 133 mg (76%) of the title compound (242) as light beige solid. mp 183-184° C. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CH3OH-d4): δ 0.91 (s, 6H), 0.92 (s, 6H), 1.29 (s, 2H), 1.94 (s, 2H), 1.98 (s, 2H), 2.58 (t, J=6.8 Hz, 2H), 3.70 (t, J=6.8 Hz, 2H), 6.68 (d, J=8.6 Hz, 2H), 6.94 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 2H), 7.07 (d, J=8.3 Hz, 2H), 7.28 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 2H). LCMS (APCI): m/z 389 (M+H)+, 387 (M−H)−.
