To a cold (−78° C.) solution of 2-fluoro-4-iodo-phenyl amine (2.97 g, 12.5 mmol) in THF (20 mL) was added LHMDS (24 mL, 1.0 M solution in hexanes 24 mmol) dropwise maintaining the temperature below −65° C. After stirring for 30 minutes a solution of 2-dimethoxymethyl-1,3-difluoro-5-methoxy-4-nitro-benzene (3.0 g, 11.4 mmol) in THF (20 mL) was added dropwise, the resultant mixture stirred cold (−78° C.) for 1 hour then allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred for 18 hours. The reaction was quenched by the addition of aqueous ammonium chloride and extracted twice with diethyl ether. The combined organic extracts were washed with water, dried (Na2SO4), filtered and concentrated in vacuo to give an orange solid. The crude orange solid was triturated in diethyl ether to give the title compound as a yellow solid (4.2 g, 77%). 1H NMR (CDCl3) 7.36 (1 H, dd, J=10.09, 1.93 Hz), 7.28-7.17 (2 H, m), 6.59 (1 H, t, J=8.62 Hz), 6.44 (1H, d, J=11.47 Hz), 5.49 (1 H, s), 3.88 (3 H, s), 3.39 (6 H, s).
