Sodium hydride (60% in oil, 399 mg) was added to a solution of ethyl Z-2-(3-benzoylphenyl)-2-hydroxyiminoacetate (2.47 g) and 4-(4-chloromethylphenoxymethyl)-5-methyl-2-phenyloxazole (2.61 g) in N,N-dimethylformamide (15 ml) at room temperature under nitrogen atmosphere and stirred for 1 hour. 1N hydrochloric acid (15 ml) was added, an aqueous saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate was added and extracted with ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate layer was washed with an aqueous saturated solution of sodium chloride, dried (MgSO4) and concentrated. The residue was subjected to silica gel chromatography to obtain ethyl Z-2-(3-benzoylphenyl)-2-[4-(5-methyl-2-phenyl-4-oxazolylmethoxy)benzyloxyimino]acetate (1.97 g, yield 41%) as a pale-yellow oil from an ethyl acetate-hexane (1:3, v/v)-eluted fraction.
