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Step 1: To a slurry of NaH (60% in oil)(7.2g, 181 mmol) in anhydrous THF (300 ml_) at O0C was added dropwise anhydrous MeOH (5.8 g, 181 mmol). Once the addition was complete, the resultant mixture was stirred at O0C for an additional 20 min. The slurry was added slowly via cannula to a solution of 5-fluoro-2- benzonitrile (25g, 150 mmol) in THF (100 ml_). The green solution was allowed to slowly warm to RT and stir overnight. Water was slowly added and the aqueous layer was extracted with EtOAc (3x). The combined organic layers were washed with brine, dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude product was purified via flash chromatography (SiO2: gradient elution, 100:0 to 60:40 hexanes: EtOAc) to afford the nitro compound (23.2 g, 87%) as a light yellow solid.