A solution of 4-methoxyphenylmagnesium bromide was prepared by treating 0.54 g (22.5 mg-atoms) of magnesium turnings with 4.20 g (22.5 mmol) of p-bromoanisole in 25 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran and was added dropwise to a stirred solution of 1.64 g (7.5 mmol) of 6-ethyl-7-methoxy-5-methylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-2-carboxaldehyde in 100 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran. After stirring at room temperature for 1 hour the mixture was poured into saturated ammonium chloride solution and the organic layer was separated. The aqueous layer was extracted with chloroform and the combined organic extracts were dried over MgSO4 and evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure. The residue was deposited on a column of 250 g of silica gel and elution with a 7:3 chloroform-ethyl acetate mixture gave 2.3 g (94% yield) of (6-ethyl-7-methoxy-5-methylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-yl)(4-methoxyphenyl)methanol as a white crystalline solid melting at 117°-9° C.
