A mixture of 1-Bromo-7-(4-fluoro-phenoxy)-4-hydroxy-isoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid butyl ester (4.34 g, 10 mmol, see example A-75d), sodium acetate (984 mg, 12 mmol), Pd/C (2.0 g, 10 wt % Pd, 50 wt % water), EtOAc (400 ml) and MeOH (200 ml) was stirred under an H2-atmosphere at ambient pressure and temperature for 2.5 h before the mixture was filtered through a plug of celite. The celite was washed with EtOAc (500 ml). The combined organic phases were concentrated in vacuo. To the residue was added a half concentrated NaHCO3 solution (50 ml) and the mixture was extracted with CH2Cl2 (1×200 ml). The organic phase was dried over MgSO4 and concentrated in vacuo to yield the title compound as a tan oil (3.45 g); MS-(+)-ion M+1=356.1.
