To a solution of 1-(3-bromophenyl)-5-[(4-methoxybenzyl)oxy]-4-oxo-1,4-dihydropyridine-2-carbaldehyde (3.0 g, 7.25 mmol), in dry THF (50 mL) was added MeMgBr (7.25 mL of a 3 M solution in THF, 21.8 mmol) dropwise at −30° C., and the reaction mixture was stirred at −30° C. then warmed to room temperature and stirred for another 2 h. The reaction mixture was cooled to 0° C., 2 mL water was added, and the mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate. The layers were separated, and the organic fraction was dried (MgSO4), concentrated under reduced pressure, and purified by Prep-HPLC to give 1.8 g (58%) of 1-(3-bromophenyl)-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-5-[(4-methoxybenzyl)oxy]pyridin-4(1H)-one. Chiral resolution of 12.0 g 1-(3-bromophenyl)-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-5-[(4-methoxybenzyl)oxy]pyridin-4(1H)-one was accomplished by SFC of racemic material using a Chiral Technologies ChiralPak AD-H column (25% MeOH in CO2, 3 cm diameter×25 cm length, 70 mL/min flow, 200 mg per injection), and afforded (80%) of the first eluting enantiomer and (79%) of the second eluting enantiomer. 1H-NMR (CD3OD, 400 MHz) δ 7.76 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.64 (s, 1H), 7.51-7.41(m, 2H), 7.38-7.35 (m, 2H), 7.33-7.31 (m, 2H), 6.88-6.86 (m, 2H), 6.76 (s, 1H), 4.95 (s, 2H), 4.39-4.34 (m, 1H), 3.76 (s, 3H), 1.26 (d, J=6.0 Hz, 2H). MS (ESI) m/z (M+H)+ 430.1/432.1.
