Ethyl 5-benzoyl-1,4-dimethylpyrrole-2-acetate (5.0 g, 17.5 mmol) [prepared as in Example 1, Step (a)], was dissolved in DMF (50 ml) and the solution was cooled in an ice bath to 0° C. under an argon atmosphere. Sodium hydride, 50%/mineral oil, (1.3 g, 27.1 mmol) was added, and after 5 min 3,4-difluoronitrobenzene (3.36 g, 21.1 mmol) was added to the reaction mixture. After 1 h the reaction mixture was poured into 10% HCl/ice and the product was extracted into ethyl acetate. The organic phase was washed with water, dried over sodium sulfate, and evaporated to dryness. Purification on a Florisil® column (hexane-ethyl acetate, 9:1) gave ethyl 2-(5-benzoyl-1,4-dimethylpyrrol-2-yl)-2-(2-fluoro-4-nitrophenyl)acetate (6.22 g, 84%) as a solid. ##STR19##
