Into a sealed tube were placed 3-bromo-2-fluoropyridine (0.10 g, 0.60 mmol), 1-methyl-5,6-dihydropyridin-2(1H)-one (0.134 g, 1.20 mmol), bis(tri-tert-butylphosphine)palladium (0) (0.046 g, 0.09 mmol), N,N-dicyclohexylmethylamine (0.13 mL, 0.66 mmol), and 1,4-dioxane (0.5 mL). After the mixture was degassed for 5 min, the reaction was heated at 100° C. for 3 h. The cooled reaction was concentrated in vacuo, and the brown residue was directly purified via flash column chromatography (20% EtOAc/Hexanes to 100% EtOAc) to give 4-(2-fluoropyridin-3-yl)-1-methyl-5,6-dihydropyridin-2(1H)-one as a tan solid. MS (ESI, pos. ion) m/z: 207.1 (M+1).
