GENERAL STEPS: To a suspension of N-(2-bromophenyl)methane sulfonamide (5.01 g, 20.0 mmol) and cesium carbonate (7.2 g, 22 mmol) in acetonitrile (20 mL) was added iodomethane (1.4 mL, 22 mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 hours. Upon completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture was diluted with dichloromethane (30 mL), filtered through a diatomaceous earth plug and the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure. N-(2-bromophenyl)-N-methylmethanesulfonamide was obtained as a light orange solid (5.22 g, 98% yield). The product was characterized by 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3, δ, ppm): 7.65 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.50 (d, J = 7.9 Hz, 1H), 7.37 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 1H), 7.23 (t, J = 8.2 Hz, 1H), 3.29 (s, 3H), 3.06 (s, 3H). Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis showed m/z = 286,288 (MH+).
