The previously reported synthesis of RM734 employs a benzyl (OBn) protecting strategy, beginning from 2,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid and eventually affording the title compound in high yield over three linear steps (Fig. ). The nitrophenyl unit is installed last, owing to the incompatibility of this group with the hydrogenolysis conditions employed for debenzylation. Aya et al. install the ring units of RM734 in reverse order (Fig. ); utilising a tetrahydropyranyl protecting group to synthesise 4-nitrophenyl 4-hydroxybenzoate in ~ 40% yield, this then being subjected to terminal esterification to afford RM734. Our initial synthetic effort was to focus on improving this yield by switching to a tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) group. Regrettably, the TBAF mediated cleavage invariably led to significant ester hydrolysis and this method was promptly abandoned as unworkable due to the lability of the 4-nitrophenyl group. We found success by avoiding protecting groups entirely (Fig 2 . (C)). Our initial hint was that esterification of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 4-nitrophenol in a 1:1 ratio gave nearly quantitative conversion to the desired product, but separation from residual 4-nitrophenol was reportedly challenging. Gratifyingly, a 1:2 mixture of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 4nitrophenol reacted smoothly under Steglich conditions with EDC/DMAP to afford the title compound in ~ 55% yield in a single step. Subsequent Steglich esterification of 4-nitrophenyl 4-hydroxybenzoate with a library of substituted benzoic acids afforded compounds 1-11 in moderate to good yield (67 -88 %).