Inhoffen

The synthesis of vitamin Dj from a sensitive dienone was another etu-ly success of phosphorus ylide synthesis (H.H. Inhoffen, 1958 A). This Wittig reaction could be carried out without any isomerization of the diene. An excess of the ylide was needed presumably because the alkoxides formed from the hydroxy group in the educt removed some of the ylide. 

Finally the chemical aromatization of Ring A which occurs in nature in the biosynthesis of estrogens must be mentioned. It can be done by thermal cleavage of the C-19 methyl group in 1,4-dien-3-ones (H.H. Inhoffen, 1940 C. Djerassi, 1950) and was later achieved at lower temperatures with lithium — biphenyl in THF (H.L. Dryden, Jr., 1964). 

Total Synthesis. Poor yields encountered duriag the manufacture of vitamin D stimulated early attempts to synthesize vitamin D. In 1959 Inhoffen synthesized vitamin from 3-methyl-2-(2-carboxyethyl)-2-cyclohexenone (40), uskig the Wittig reaction extensively (103). 

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