Synthesis of 2-Pyrimidinecarboxylicacid,5-methyl-,methylester(6CI,9CI): to a stirred solution of 2-chloro-5-methylpyrimidine (200 mg, 1.55 mmol) in MeOH:CH3CN (4:1, 10 mL) under argon atmosphere was added Pd(dppf)Cl2 (227 mg, 0.31 mmol) and triethylamine (0.45 mL, 3.11 mmol ) at room temperature; heated to 100 C and stirred in a steel bomb for 16 h under CO pressure. The reaction was monitored by TLC; after completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture was filtered through diatomaceous earth and the filtrate was concentrated in vacuum to give the crude product methyl 5-methyl-2-pyrimidinecarboxylate. The crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography using 60% EtOAc/hexane as methyl 5-methyl-2-pyrimidinecarboxylate (146 mg, 62%) as a brick red solid.
