A 1 L round-bottomed flask was charged with 3-iodo-N-methylpyridin-2-amine (8.95 g, 38.3 mmol), N1,N1-diphenylbenzene-1,3-diamine (9.96 g, 38.3 mmol), dicyclohexyl(2′,4′,6′-triisopropyl-[1,1′-biphenyl]-2-yl)phosphine (0.183 g, 0.384 mmol) and sodium 2-methylpropan-2-olate (5.15 g, 53.6 mmol) in toluene (500 mL). Nitrogen was bubbled through for 10 minutes. Then Pd2 dba3 (88 mg, 0.10 mmol) was added and this was stirred at 120° C. for overnight. The mixture was then filtered and the filtrate was concentrated and chromatographed using a mobile phase gradient of 0-20% ethyl acetate in dichloromethane to give N3-(3-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-N2-methylpyridine-2,3-diamine (12.2 g, 91% yield).
