Sodium hydride (60% in oil, 225 mg) was added under a nitrogen atmosphere to a solution of ethyl E-2-(4-bromophenyl)-2-hydroxyiminoacetate (1.73 g) and 4-(4-chloromethylphenoxymethyl)-5-methyl-2-phenyloxazole (2.00 g) in N,N-dimethylformamide (20 ml) at room temperature and the mixture was stirred for 1 hour. After adding 1N HCl (10 ml), aqueous sodium bicarbonate was added, and then the mixture was extracted with ethyl-acetate. The ethyl acetate layer was washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride, dried (MgSO4) and then concentrated. The residue was subjected to column chromatography on silica gel to obtain ethyl E-2-(4-bromophenyl)-2-[4-(5-methyl-2-phenyl-4-oxazolylmethoxy)benzyloxyimino]acetate (2.54 g, yield 73%) as crystals from a fraction eluted with ethyl acetate-hexane (1:3, v/v). Recrystallization was performed from ethyl acetate-hexane. m.p. 105-106° C.
