Step B: Synthesis of methyl 3-amino-2-chlorobenzoate; Raney Ni catalyst (3 g) was added to a methanol (MeOH, 150 mL) solution of methyl 2-chloro-3-nitrobenzoate (25 g, 116 mmol). The reaction mixture was placed under hydrogen atmosphere (50 psi, 25 °C) and stirred for 3.5 hours. Upon completion of the reaction, the catalyst was removed by filtration and the filtrate was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure to give the crude product. The crude product was purified by recrystallization from ethyl acetate (EtOAc) to afford the title compound methyl 3-amino-2-chlorobenzoate (four batches were combined with a total yield of 69 g in 83.5% yield). The structure of the product was confirmed by 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ 6.7-7.5.25 (m, 3H, aryl H), 4.40-4.50 (br, 2H, NH2), 3.87 (s, 3H, OCH3).
