To a stirred solution of (3-bromo-5-methyl-phenyl)-(5-isopropyl-2,6-dimethoxy-pyrimidin-4-yl)-methanone (3.79 g, 10 mmol) in anhydrous DMF (10 ml), was added sodium acetate (902 mg, 1 mmol), palladium acetate (224 mg, 1 mmol), tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (1.049 g, 4 mmol), and acrylonitrile in this order. The mixture was then stirred at 90-132° C. (oil bath) for ca. 23 hr. After cooling to room temperature, ether and EA (2:1) was added to the reaction mixture. The mixture was then washed with aqueous saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, washed with water twice, dried with anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered, and evaporated in vacuo. The residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluent, EA:hexanes (1:4)) to afford 595 mg (17%) of a white solid. Z-isomer (275 mg, 8%) was also obtained as a white solid. m.p. 144-145° C.; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3) δ 1.19 (6H, d, J=6.9 Hz), 2.42 (3H, s), 2.83 (1H, m), 3.94 (3H, s), 4.08 (3H, s), 5.92 (1H, d, J=16.8 Hz), 7.39 (1H, d, J=16.8 Hz), 7.49 (1H, s), 7.69 (1H, s), 7.75 (1H, s). Z isomer: 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3) δ 1.19 (6H, d, J=7.2 Hz), 2.45 (3H, s), 2.84 (1H, m), 3.93 (3H, s), 4.06 (3H, s), 5.49 (1H, d, J=12.0 Hz), 7.11 (1H, d, J=12.0 Hz), 7.75 (1H, s), 7.90 (1H, s), 7.97 (1H, s).
