6-Bromo-3,3-dimethyl-indan-1-one (1.20 g, 5.02 mmol), methyl 4-vinylbenzoate (1.63 g, 10.0 mmol), palladium acetate (56 mg, 0.25 mmol), tetrabutylammonium chloride hydrate (1.53 g, 5.52 mmol ), and sodium bicarbonate (1.05 g, 12.6 mmol) were stirred in 10 mL of anhydrous N,N-dimethylformamide at 80°-100° C. for 8 hours. The mixture was diluted with water (100 mL), extracted with methylene chloride (50 mL×3). The combined extracts were dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated. The residue was purified by flash chromatography (CH2Cl2 :hexane=1:1 to 1:0, then CH2Cl2 :EtOAc=10:1) to give 1.12 g (70% yield) of the title compound as a yellow solid; 1H-NMR (CDCl3) δ1.45 (s, 6H), 2.64 (s, 2H), 5.30 (s, 3H), 7.18 (d, J=16.5 Hz, 1H), 7.26 (d, J=16.5 Hz, 1H), 7.52 (d, J=8.1 Hz, 1H), 7.58 (d, J=8.5 Hz, 2H), 7.78 (d, J=1.7, 8.1 Hz, 1H), 7.86 (d, J=1.7 Hz, 1H), 8.05 (d, J=8.5 Hz, 2H); MS m/e 321 (MH+).
