Methyl 1,1-dimethyl-3-(trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy)-1H-indene-5-carboxylate (580 mg, 1.86 mmol ), tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium (0) (Pd2 dba3, 17 mg, 0.02 mmol), triphenylarsine (46 mg, 0.15 mmol), lithium chloride (240 mg, 5.59 mmol) and phenyltributyltin (680 mg, 1.86 mmol) in 5 mL of 2-methyl pyrrolidinone were stirred at 55° C. for 1.5 days. The mixture was diluted with water (30 mL), and extracted with ethyl ether (30 mL×3). The combined extracts were dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated. The residue was purified by flash chromatography (EtOAc:hexane=1:20 to 1:5) to give 0.43 g (83% yield) of the title compound as a white solid; 1H-NMR (CDCl3) δ1.41 (s, 6H), 3.91 (s, 3H), 6.48 (s, 1H), 7.39-7.62 (m, 6H), 7.99 (d, J=6.8 Hz, 1H), 8.14 (s, 1H); MS m/e 279 (MH+).
