A mixture of 2-(methylsulfanyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidine (100 mg, 0.552 mmol), methyl-3-bromo-4-methylbenzoate (126 mg, 0.552 mmol), palladium(II)acetate (12.4 mg, 0.0552 mmol), rac-BINAP (34.4 mg, 0.0552 mmol), and cesiumcarbonate (252 mg, 0.773 mmol) in toluene (10 ml) was heated at 100° C. for 18 hours. Upon cooling, the reaction mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate and the insolubles were filtered off (celite). The filtrate was concentrated and the residue was eluted through a flash column (silica gel 60, 230-400 mesh, 4:1 hexanes:EtOAc to 7:3 hexanes:EtOAc) to obtain the title compound as a light yellow, viscous oil which crystallized on standing (143 mg, 79%).
