To a round bottom flask equipped with a magnetic stir bar was added 7,8,10,11,13,14-Hexahydro-1H-6,9,12,15-tetraoxa-1-aza-cyclododeca[b]naphthalen-4-one (12.2 g, 43.3 mmol, 1.0 eq.), acetonitrile (150 ml), DMF (150 ml) and cesium carbonate (28.2 g, 86.5 mmol, 2.0 eq). The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes at which time 1,2-difluoro-4-nitro-benzene (7.57 g, 47.6 mmoL, 1.1 eq) was added over a 10 minute period. After 2 hours the reaction was complete at which time 75% of the MeCN and DMF were removed and the resulting solution was poured over into ice water. The solid was filtered and dried and further columned with a biotage system. The eluent was 1:3 ethyl acetate/hexane. Removal of the solvent afforded 4-(2-Fluoro-4-nitro-phenoxy)-7,8,10,11,13,14-hexahydro-6,9,12,15-tetraoxa-1-aza-cyclodo-deca[b]naphthalene as a pale green solid (7.4 g, 41% yield). 1HNMR (400 MHz, DMSO): 8.58 (s, 1H), 7.80 (s, 1H), 7.50 (s, 1H), 7.04 (t, 1H), 6.88 (m, 1H), 6.50 (m, 2H), 4.35 (s, 4H), 3.87 (d, 4H), 3.62 (s, 4H). LC/MS Calcd for (M+H)+431.4. found 431.5.
