Method for preparing 2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2-(2′-carboxyethyl)-6-acetoxychroman-precursor- α-CEHC precursor

The contemplated invention relates to the field of synthesis of biologically active substances, namely to the synthesis of an acetate derivative of the main water-soluble α-tocopherol metabolite known under the name of α-CEHC, which is prepared by the acid-catalyzed reaction of condensation of trimethyl hydroquinone with linalool in boiling octane, using n-toluenesulfonic acid or (+)-camphor-10-sulfonic acid as the catalyst. The reaction is carried out for 3 hours at the trimethyl hydroquinone:linalool:catalyst mole ratio of 1:1:0.1. The forming product is acetylated with acetic anhydride in pyridine at room temperature for 0.5 hour, and then ozonized in acetone in the presence of Ba(OH)2, oxidized with Jones' reagent in acetone, and isolated on silica gel column chromatography. Said compound is an acetate derivative of the main α-tocopherol metabolite-α-CEHC, for which high efficiency has been noted in treating disorders of the central nervous system.