Ammonium Chloride → (2-Amino-6-fluorophenyl)methanol

A solution under argon of 2-amino-6-fluorobenzoic acid (5 g; 32 mmol) in anhydrous tetrahydrofuran (100 ml) is treated with lithium aluminium hydride (1M in tetrahydrofuran; 64 ml; 64 mmol) at ambient temperature. The reaction medium is agitated for 3 hours, then hydrolyzed at 0° C. with a saturated aqueous solution of ammonium chloride (100 ml). The resulting mixture is extracted with ethyl acetate (2×70 ml). The combined extracts are washed with water and with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride, then dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to produce 3.8 g of the desired product, a white solid (m.p.: 93° C.).