Continuous-flow photochemistry for the efficient synthesis of 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(3′-methoxy-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl)ethan-1-ol

A distinctive continuous-flow synthesis of 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(3′-methoxy-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl)ethan-1-ol, an important intermediate for the synthesis of a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor LX1031, is described. The pivotal synthetic process involved a photochemically induced nickel-catalysed radical cross coupling of phthalimido trifluoroethanol with 1-bromo-4-(3-methoxyphenyl)benzene. This approach not only enhanced synthetic efficiency but also demonstrated the potential of flow photochemistry for the synthesis of a complicated pharmaceutical intermediate on a gram scale.