To a solution of 4-phenylpiperidine (1.25 g, 7.75 mmol) and DIEA (4.1 mL, 23.3 mmol) in anhydrous CH3CN (40 mL) was added isopropyl 2-(5-bromo-4-chloro-2,6-dimethylpyridin-3-yl)-2-oxoacetate (2.59 g, 7.75 mmol) at rt. The resulting mixture was placed in a pre-heated oil bath (80° C.) and stirred for 24 h; concentrated, and charged (DCM) to a 80 g ISCO silica gel cartridge and gradient eluted (5-35% EtOAc/hexanes) using an Isolera chromatography station to give isopropyl 2-(5-bromo-2,6-dimethyl-4-(4-phenylpiperidin-1-yl)pyridin-3-yl)-2-oxoacetate 2.63 g (74%). 1H NMR (500 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ 7.34-7.31 (m, 2H), 7.25-7.20 (m, 3H), 5.11-5.06 (m, 1H), 3.50 (br. s, 2H), 2.94 (br. s, 2H), 2.68-2.63 (m, 1H), 2.63 (s, 3H), 2.13 (s, 3H), 1.81-1.78 (m, 2H), 1.60 (br. s, 2H), 1.26 (d, J=6.2 Hz, 6H). UPLC (M+H)=461.05.
