To a room temperature solution of (1-benzyl-piperidin-4-yl)-(2-fluoro-4-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-methanone (7.5 g, 20.5 mmol), methyl thioglycolate (2.0 mL, 22.5 mmol), and DMF (100 mL) was added K2CO3 (5.65 g, 41.0 mmol). The reaction was stirred at 60° C. for 24 hours, cooled to room temperature and diluted with ethyl acetate (500 mL). The mixture was washed with water (2×300 mL) and brine (300 mL) successively, dried over magnesium sulfate, filtered, and the solvent removed to afford an oil. The oil was purified via chromatography (30% EtOAc in heptane) yielding 5.91 g (67%) as a solid.
