The title compound was synthesized by referring to J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1999, 121 (18), 4369. To a suspension of 60% sodium hydride (600 mg) in toluene (50 ml) was added 5-methoxy-2-(3-methoxybenzyl)phenol (2.4 g), and the solution was stirred at 90° C. until generation of gas was stopped. The reaction solution was cooled to room temperature, then 1-benzyloxy-4-bromobenzene (2.6 g), palladium(II) acetate (112 mg), 2-(di-tert-butylphosphino)biphenyl (149 mg) were sequentially added thereto, and the solution was stirred for 18 hours and 50 minutes at 95° C. To the reaction solution was added water, the solution was extracted with ethyl acetate, then the insoluble material was filtered through celite pad, the filtrate was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, and then the solvent was evaporated in vacuo. Obtained by purifying the residue by silica gel column chromatography (hexane-ethyl acetate system), 2-(4-benzyloxy phenoxy)-4-methoxy-1-(3-methoxybenzyl)benzene (1.4 g) was used according to an analogous synthetic method to Example 22 to provide the title compound (690 mg).
