Ketones steroid intermediate

Another interesting preparative example was reported by Kurosu and Kishi (Scheme 6.9) [21]. An advanced steroid intermediate 39 was prepared in racemic form by total synthesis. Upon borane reduction with 33 as a catalyst, the reaction afforded 40 and 41 as the exclusive products (each with >99% ee). The authors noted that this approach allows access to either enantiomeric product from the same total synthesis because the diastereomers 40 and 41 may be separated and re-oxidized to give the corresponding enantiomers of the starting ketone 39. This is likely to be an easier approach compared to classical resolution of the advanced intermediate. 

Another preparative method for the enone 554 is the reaction of the enol acetate 553 with allyl methyl carbonate using a bimetallic catalyst of Pd and Tin methoxide[354,358]. The enone formation is competitive with the allylation reaction (see Section 2.4.1). MeCN as a solvent and a low Pd to ligand ratio favor enone formation. Two regioisomeric steroidal dienones, 558 and 559, are prepared regioselectively from the respective dienol acetates 556 and 557 formed from the steroidal a, /3-unsaturated ketone 555. Enone formation from both silyl enol ethers and enol acetates proceeds via 7r-allylpalladium enolates as common intermediates. 

Acetoxy-l,7-octadiene (40) is converted into l,7-octadien-3-one (124) by hydrolysis and oxidation. The most useful application of this enone 124 is bisannulation to form two fused six-membered ketonesfl 13], The Michael addition of 2-methyl-1,3-cyclopentanedione (125) to 124 and asymmetric aldol condensation using (5)-phenylalanine afford the optically active diketone 126. The terminal alkene is oxidi2ed with PdCl2-CuCl2-02 to give the methyl ketone 127 in 77% yield. Finally, reduction of the double bond and aldol condensation produce the important intermediate 128 of steroid synthesis in optically pure form[114]. 

Methyl vinyl ketone is used as a comonomer in photodegradable plastics, and is an intermediate in the synthesis of steroids and vitamin A. It is highly toxic and faciUties handling over a threshold of 100 lbs (45.5 kg) are subject to special OSHA documentation regulations (273). 

An example is the preparation of 18-trideuterio 5a-steroids bearing a side chain at C-17. Labeling of this position with three deuteriums was accomplished by utilizing the Johnson procedure for steroid total synthesis. This synthesis involves, in part, introduction of the 18-angular methyl group by methylation of the D-homo-17a-keto-17-furfurylidene intermediate (243). By substituting d3-methyl iodide in this step, the C/D cis- and ra/J5-18,18,18-d3 labeled ketones [(244) and (245)] are obtained. Conversion of the C/D tra 5-methylation product (245) into 18,18,18-d3-d /-3)8-hydroxy-5a-androstan-17-one (246) provides an intermediate which can be converted into a wide variety of C-18 labeled compounds of high (98%) isotopic... 

Steroids possessing an epoxide grouping in the side chain have likewise been converted to fluorohydrins. Thus, 20-cyano-17,20-epoxides of structure (19) furnish the 17a-fluoro-20-ketones (20) after treatment of the intermediate cyanohydrins with boiling collidine. The epimeric 5a,6a 20,21-oxides (21) afford the expected bis-fluorohydrins (22). The reaction of the allylic... 

A -Steroids react sluggishly with nitrosyl fluoride to yield after alumina chromatography the nitro-olefin (44) (14 %), and 0.7 % of the 2a-fluoro ketone (45), the former probably arising by alumina-catalyzed dehydrofiuorination of an intermediate 2-fluoro-3-nitro adduct. 

The procedure involving a-halo ketone intermediates has been used for the synthesis of 11, 12 - and oxiranes of 5a-steroids... 

The NMR study of steroidal epoxides (discussed in section II-F) parallels that of the analogous thiiranes. It is possible to relate the location and configuration of the thiirane group with the angular methyl and thiirane proton resonances. The proton NMR relationships for the intermediate thiocyanatohydrins have been included inageneral NMR study of steroids. Electronic spectra may be used in the analysis of steroidal thiiranes. Spectroscopic measurements have shown the existence of a low intensity absorption in the 240-260 m region. The regular patterns of rotatory contributions of thiiranes which are comparable with those of ketones prompted an accumulation of ORD and CD data for steroidal thiiranes. 

In a useful modification of this method, la-methyl-A -3-keto steroids are obtained by methylation of the A -3-keto systems (20). However, it is unexpectedly difficult to convert the intermediate la-methyl-A -3-keto compound (21) into the conjugated ketone (22). 

The most widely used method for the preparation of 2a-methyl-3-keto steroids proceeds via a-oxalyl ketone intermediates. 

Because osmium tetroxide is expensive, and its vapors are toxic, alternate methods have been explored for effecting vic-glycol formation. In the aliphatic series, olefins can be hydroxylated with hydrogen peroxide with the use of only a catalytic amount of osmium tetroxide. Anhydrous conditions are not necessary 30% hydrogen peroxide in acetone or acetone-ether is satisfactory. The intermediate osmate ester is presumably cleaved by peroxide to the glycol with regeneration of osmium tetroxide. When this reaction was tried on a A -steroid, the product isolated was the 20-ketone ... 

A rather special procedure for the preparation of 21-hydroxy-20-ketopreg-nanes starts with the 17a-ethoxyethynyl-17 -hydroxy steroids described earlier. Free radical addition of ethanethiol to the triple bond, followed by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and dehydration gives the 20-thioenol ether 21-aldehyde. This can be reduced with lithium aluminum hydride to the C-21 alcohol and then hydrolyzed to the C-20 ketone in the presence of mercuric chloride. The overall yield, without isolation of intermediates, is in the order of 50% ... 

Photoketone (118) has served as the key intermediate in a relatively simple transformation of 3-keto-10/ -steroids to 3-keto-lOa-isomers without the assistance of other functional groups suitably situated next to the ring junction—a task that appears difficult to attempt by other methods. Optimal yields of (118) are achieved by catalytic hydrogenation of the unsaturated ketone (175), the photoisomer of 1-dehydrotestosterone acetate (see section III-C). In this way, a 6-step conversion of 1-dehydrotestosterone acetate (174) to IOa-testosterone acetate (127 acetate) is achieved in good yield. ° ... 

Steroidal a,j8-unsaturated ketones such as /l -3-ketones undergo a facile reaction with pyrrolidine to give the corresponding, d - -dienamines (111) (40,53). The reaction is much slower with morpholine and piperidine, which is undoubtedly due to the generation of the double bond exocyclic to the six-membered hetero rings in the step involving the dehydration of the intermediate carbinolamine (112) to the corresponding iminium ion (113). 

In the alkylation of enolate anions, a mixture of mono- and polyalky lation produets is usually obtained, and when enolization of a di-a-methylene ketone is possible toward both sides, a mixture of di-a- and a,a -dialkylation products ean be expeeted. Thus the enamine alkylation sequenee beeomes partieularly attractive when eontrolled monoalkylation is imperative beeause of difficulties in separation of a mixture of alkylation produets. One of its first synthetie applications was in the reaetions of /8-tetralones with alkyl halides. Yields in exeess of 80% were usually found 238-243) in these reaetions, which make valuable intermediates for steroid and diterpene syntheses more aecessible. 

Conjugate addition of methyl magnesium iodide in the presence of cuprous chloride to the enone (91) leads to the la-methyl product mesterolone (92) Although this is the thermodynamically unfavored axially disposed product, no possibility for isomerization exists in this case, since the ketone is once removed from this center. In an interesting synthesis of an oxa steroid, the enone (91) is first oxidized with lead tetraacetate the carbon at the 2 position is lost, affording the acid aldehyde. Reduction of this intermediate, also shown in the lactol form, with sodium borohydride affords the steroid lactone oxandrolone... 

The much simpler steroid, 253, was fortuitously found to fulfill this role when injected into animals. Its lack of oral activity was overcome by incorporation of the 7a-thioacetate group. Reaction of the ethisterone intermediate, 77b, with a large excess of an organomagnesium halide leads to the corresponding acetylide salt carbonation with CO2 affords the carboxyllic acid, 251. This is then hydrogenated and the hydroxy acid cy-clized to the spirolactone. Oppenauer oxidation followed by treatment with chloranil affords the 4,6-dehydro-3-ketone (254). Conjugate addition of thiolacetic acid completes the synthesis of spironolactone (255), an orally active aldosterone antagonist. ... 

Halogenation of steroid 3-ketones can lead to complicated mixtures by virtue of the fact that the kinetic enol leads to 3 halo products, whereas the thermodynamic product is that halogenated at the 4 position. Carefully controlled reaction of the 5a-androstanolone with chlorine thus leads to the 2a-chloro derivative (29). Reaction of that intermediate with O(p-nitrophenyl)-hydroxylamine affords the androgenic agent ni stremine acetate (30). ... 

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