A degassed suspension of the product of Step 1 (50.3 g, 156 mmol), n-Bu4NCl (86.0 g, 312 mmol), LiOAc.2H2O (41.2 g, 390 mmol), LiCl (6.84 g, 156 mmol), Pd(OAc)2 (1.00 g, 4.7 mmol), and methyl 2-iodobenzoate (41.00 g, 156 mmol) in DMF (300 mL) was stirred for 3 hours at 90° C. The dark red solution was then cooled to r.t. and poured into 2 L of ice cold H2O. The product was extracted with hot EtOAc, dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated to dryness. It was dissolved in 600 ml of hot toluene and filtered through a small silica pad (1 L). The title product was finally recrystallized from EtOAc:hexane 1:1 (1.2 L). The title product was finally recrystallized from EtOAc:hexane 1:1 (1.2 L). Recrystallization of the mother liquors in EtOAc:hexane 1:3 ( 400 mL) afforded a second crop of the title compound.
