The neuroprotective multifunctional antioxidants are compounds that contain a 2-diacetylamino-5-hydroxypyrimidine moiety, having the structural formula: wherein R1 is CH2 or C2H4; R2 is H or —OR4 where R4 is H or aryl; and R3a and R3b are independently selected from the group consisting of H and —O-alkyl. The antioxidants are orally bioavailable metal-attenuating multifunctional antioxidants that can independently attenuate transition metals, as well as scavenger free radicals. The multifunctional antioxidant compounds, by their ability to independently chelate metals, such as Fe, Cu or Zn, and scavenge free radicals generated from different sources, are neuroprotective and are beneficial for the treatment of various neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ALS, traumatic brain injury, ocular disorders, such as cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and other retinal degeneration, as well as for reducing the progression of diabetic complications.