A mixture of methyl 3-[(acetyloxy)methyl]-4-bromobenzoate (4.7 g, 16.4 mmol), o-tolylboronic acid (2.45 g, 18 mmol), potassium carbonate (11.3 g, 82 mmol) and Pd(PPh3)4 (1.89 g, 1.64 mmol) in toluene (23.5 mL) and water (23.5 mL) was refluxed for 2 hours. After cooling to RT, the reaction mixture was filtered through a pad of Celite which was further washed with toluene (50 mL). The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo. The residue taken up in EtOAc (250 mL) and washed with a saturated aqueous solution of NaHCO3, water and brine, dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated under vacuum. The residue was taken up with EtOH (180 mL) and treated with a 5N aqueous solution of NaOH (12 mL, 60 mmol) at 60° C. for 1.5 hours. The reaction mixture was concentrated under vacuum. The residue was taken up in water (500 mL) and the aqueous layer was washed twice with EtOAc (2×200 mL). The aqueous layer was acidified with a concentrated aqueous solution of HCl until pH 2 and extracted with EtOAc (2×100 mL). The combined organic layer were dried (MgSO4) and concentrated under vacuum to afford the title compound as a yellow solid (3.46 g, 87%). HPLC (Method A) Rt 3.77 min (purity 96.1%).
