The mixture of 4-nitro-1H-pyrazole (2g, 17.69 mmol), Cs2CO3 (5.76g, 17.69 mmol) and sodium 2-chloro-2, 2-difluoroacetate (5.39g, 35.4 mmol) in DMF (10 mL) was stirred at 120°C for 2 h under nitrogen. Cool it to rt and dilute it with water (20 mL). The mixture was extracted with EtOAc (70 mL x 3). The combined organic layer was washed with water (40 mL) and brine (50 mL), dried, filtered and concentrated by anhydrous sodium sulfate. The residue was purified by rapid column chromatography on silica gel (elution with petroleum ether: ethyl acetate = 100:1 to 10: 1 gradient) to give 1-difluoromethyl-4-nitropyrazole.