Patent ID: 6369242
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: C07D

Abstract:
A method of making (all-rac.)-&agr;-tocopherol comprising:a) reacting trimethylhydroquinone (TMHQ) with isophytol (IP) or phytol (PH) in an organic solvent and in the presence of a tris(perfluoroalkanesulphonyl)methane, a tris(pentafluorobenzenesulphonyl)methane, a metal tris(perfluoroalkanesulphonyl)methide, or a metal tris(pentafluorobenzenesulphonyl)methide catalyst of formula I: [R1SO2)3C]x R2 â€ƒâ€ƒI wherein R1 is a perfluoroalkyl group CnF2n+1 or pentafluorophenyl, R2 is a proton or a metal cation selected from the group consisting of boron, magnesium, aluminium, silicon, scandium, titanium, vanadium, vanadyl, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, yttrium, zirconium, rhodium, palladium, silver, tin, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, europium, dysprosium, ytterbium, hafnium, platinum, and gold, n is an integer from 1 to 10, and x is the corresponding valency of the proton (1) or metal cation (1, 2, 3, or 4); and b) isolating the (all-rac.)-&agr;-tocopherol.