4,4,5,5-Tetramethyl-2-(3-nitrophenyl)-1,3,2-dioxaborolane (5.16 g, 0.0207 mol) was mixed with 3-iodo-4-methylbenzoic acid (4.94 g, 0.0188 mol), and potassium carbonate (10.4 g, 0.0753 mol) in toluene (100 mL), 1-butanol (20 mL) and water (15 mL) and the resulting mixture was degassed by sparging nitrogen through it. To the reaction was added tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (1.0 g, 0.00091 mol). The mixture was stirred rapidly and was heated to reflux for 1.5 hour. LCMS analysis showed the reaction to be complete, M+H 258. The mixture was then cooled to 20° C. The aqueous layer was discarded. To the organic layer was added saturated NaHCO3. The toluene layer was extracted with aqueous sodium bicarbonate, then discarded. The aqueous sodium bicarbonate and alcohol layers were combined, then acidified to pH 2.5 with HCl. A white solid precipitated and was separated by filtration, rinsed with water, and air dried to give 4.3 g of the product. The filtrate contained only a trace of product.
