Step 1: To a stirred solution of 3,5-dibromobenzoic acid (2 g, 7.168 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (20 mL) was slowly added borane dimethyl sulfide (3.4 mL, 35.842 mmol, 5 eq.) at 0 °C. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight. Upon completion of the reaction, the mixture was cooled to 0 °C and the reaction was carefully quenched with methanol (appropriate amount). Subsequently, the reaction mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure to afford (3,5-dibromophenyl)methanol as an off-white solid (1.8 g, 94% yield). The product was characterized by 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ 4.47 (d, J = 6Hz, 2H), 5.39 (t, J = 6Hz, 1H), 7.49 (s, 2H), 7.65 (s, 1H).
