A facile and practical method for the synthesis of 2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl) propenoic acid, a precursor of anti-inflammatory agent naproxen, is described. The method involves (1) Pd- catalyzed ethynylation of 2-bromo-6-methoxynaphthalene,(2) regioselective addition of HX to the triple bond, and (3) Pd-catalyzed carbonylation of the resulting vinyl halide followed by (4) alkaline hydrolysis.
