To pentaerythritol (1.5 g, 11.0 mmol) were added DMF (100 ml), 1-bromooctadecane (11.4 g, 34.2 mmol) and sodium hydride (60 wt %, 1.54 g, 38.5 mmol), and the mixture was stirred at 100° C. for 22 hr. The reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature, chloroform (150 ml) was added, and 1N hydrochloric acid (150 ml) was added further dropwise. After stirring, the aqueous layer was removed, and the organic layer was further washed with 1N hydrochloric acid (100 ml) and water (100 ml). The organic layer was evaporated under reduced pressure, and the residue was precipitated with methanol (150 ml), and the obtained precipitate was washed with methanol (150 ml). The crude crystals were dried and purified by silica gel column chromatography (hexane:chloroform=1:1→hexane:ethyl acetate=10:1) to give 2,2,2-tris(octadecyloxymethyl)ethanol (2.21 g, 2.47 mmol, yield 23%).
