To a stirred solution of N-(2,4-dichlorophenethyl)-2-fluoro-4-hydroxybenzamide (420 mg, 1.28 mmol) and tert-butyl 2-(3-cyano-4-fluorophenyl)acetate (361 mg, 1.54 mmol) in DMSO (6 ml) was added K2CO3 (265 mg, 1.92 mmol). The reaction was heated stirred at 70° C. for one hour. The reaction was then stirred at 90° C. overnight. The reaction was diluted with water and ethyl acetate. The aqueous phase was extracted with ethyl acetate and the combined organic layers were washed with 10% Na2CO3 and brine, dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude product was purified by silica gel chromatography to give tert-butyl 2-(4-(4-((2,4-dichlorophenethyl)carbamoyl)-3-fluorophenoxy)-3-cyanophenyl)acetate (0.0157 g).
