Sodium borohydride → (2-Bromopyridin-3-yl)methanol

To a solution of 2-bromo-3-formylpyridine (2.51 g) in methanol (40 ml) was added, at room temperature, sodium borohydride (255 mg). The mixture was stirred for 15 minutes at the same temperature. The reaction mixture was concentrated, to which was added water, followed by subjecting the mixture to extraction. The extract solution was washed with a saturated aqueous saline solution, dried (anhydrous sodium sulfate), which was then concentrated to afford 2-bromo-3-hydroxymethylpyridine (2.40 g). To a mixture of this compound (2.40 g), iodomethane (5.44 g) and DMF (25 ml) was added, at room temperature, 60% sodium hydride (613 mg), and the mixture was stirred for 30 minutes at the same temperature. To the reaction mixture was poured water, which was subjected to extraction with ethyl acetate. The extract solution was washed with water, which was dried (anhydrous sodium sulfate), followed by concentration. The residue was purified by means of a silica gel column chromatography (eluent: ethyl acetate/hexane) to afford 2-bromo-3-methoxymethylpyridine (2.34 g) as a yellow liquid product.