7.57 g (0.04 mol) of 4-(4-methylbenzyl)-piperidine are introduced into 35 ml of ethanol, 9.15 g (0.04 mol) of 2-bromo-4'-hydroxypropiophenone and then 4.24 g (0.04 mol) of sodium carbonate are added and the mixture is heated under reflux for 2 hours. It is then cooled with an ice bath and 200 ml of iced water and 100 ml of toluene are added. The mixture is stirred and left to separate and the organic phase is separated off. The aqueous phase is extracted three times with 100 ml of toluene. The organic phases are combined, washed, dried and then evaporated. This gives 13 g of a pasty oil, which is purified by chromatography on silica using acetone as the eluant. 10 g of a pale oil are collected, which is used as such in the subsequent reduction.
