The Grignard condensation of 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone (I) with phenylmagnesium bromide (II) in refluxing tert-butyl methyl ether gives the corresponding carbinol (III), which is treated with acetyl chloride in dichloromethane to yield the methyl chloride (IV). Condensation of compound (IV) with copper cyanide by heating at 140 癈, followed by treatment with hot toluene affords 2,2-bis(4-fluorophenyl)-2-phenylacetonitrile (V), which is finally partially hydrolyzed with H2SO4 in refluxing glacial acetic acid.