Hydrogenation of ring A aromatic steroids

The hydrogenation of ring A aromatic steroids over ruthenium occurs, almost invariably, from the a side and all substituents on the original aromatic ring are cis in the resulting cyclohexane. Estrone (62) is hydrogenated over ruthenium to 5a,10a-estrane-3/3,17j6-diol (63) in 85-90% yield. 

Hydrogenation of monoenes, 123 Hydrogenation of ring A aromatic steroids, 138... 

The hydrogenation of alkenes conjugated to aromatic systems is usually much less difficult than partial reduction of polyenes, as the aromatic ring is less susceptible to reduction. Many catalysts of Group 10 metals have been used for this transformation, including Raney nickel, Pd adsorbed on carbon, Pd adsorbed on calcium carbonate, Pd on barium sulfate, metallic palladium, PtOa, chloroplatinic acid or platinum metal. Normally, the stereochemistry of the reduced product arises from syn addition of a hydrogen molecule to the less-hindered face of the double bond, as exemplified in the catalytic hydrogenation of a steroidal styrene over metallic palladium (Scheme 93). ... 

Steroidal compounds with three potential sites of unsaturation in rings a and b are aromatized on heating at 85 °C with acetyl bromide containing hydrogen bromide, giving the 4-methyloestra-l,3,5(10)-triene (440). The detailed... 

The Birch reduction comprises a means for adding two hydrogen atoms to an aromatic ring by means of a metal, most often lithium, and an alcohol in liquid ammonia as solvent. A co-solvent, often tetrahydrofuran (THF), is often added due to the very poor solubility of steroids in ammonia. The use of the more expensive sodium was at one time precluded because traces of iron in that metal catalyzed the conversion of the metal to the strong base sodium amide. Very pure sodium, free of iron impurities, is now used for commercial-scale reductions. 

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