Steroids methyl groups, angular

Interest in the synthesis of 19-norsteroids as orally active progestins prompted efforts to remove the C19 angular methyl substituent of readily available steroid precursors. Industrial applications include the direct conversion of androsta-l,4-diene-3,17-dione [897-06-3] (92) to estrone [53-16-7] (26) by thermolysis in mineral oil at about 500°C (136), and reductive elimination of the angular methyl group of the 17-ketal of the dione [2398-63-2] (93) with lithium biphenyl radical anion to form the 17-ketal of estrone [900-83-4] (94) (137). 

Addition of hydride ion from the catalyst gives the adsorbed dianion (15). The reaction is completed and product stereochemistry determined by protonation of these species from the solution prior to or concurrent with desorption. With the heteroannular enolate, (13a), both cis and trans adsorption can occur with nearly equal facility. When an angular methyl group is present trans adsorption (14b) predominates. Protonation of the latter species from the solution gives the cis product. Since the heteroannular enolate is formed by the reaction of A" -3-keto steroids with strong base " this mechanism satisfactorily accounts for the almost exclusive formation of the isomer on hydrogenation of these steroids in basic media. The optimum concentration of hydroxide ion in this reaction is about two to three times that of the substrate. 

The most frequently encountered examples of cyclopropyl ring opening reactions in the steroid field are usually associated with angular or side chain methylation sequences. In fact, isotope labeling of the C-19 angular methyl group is the only reported application of this reaction for deuteration or tritiation pui poses. 

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... 

In general, epoxidation of steroids with trans-anti-trans ring fusions leads to exclusive formation of the a-oxirane. Steroid Reactions lists examples of exclusive a-epoxide formation from 2-, 4-, 6-, 7-, 8(9)-, 14-, 16- and 17(20)-unsaturated steroids. Further examples of a-epoxidation of steroid 1-enes, 3-enes, 8-enes, 9(ll)-enes, 8(14)-enes and 16-enes have been reported. The preferred attack by the reagent on the a-side of the steroid nucleus can be attributed to shielding of the -side of the molecules by the two angular methyl groups. 

The oxidation of alcohols with lead tetraacetate was the first reaction used for oxygenation of an angular methyl group in steroids. It is a simple and efficient method and produces tetrahydrofuran derivatives directly from alcohols. 

Esters and acetylated hydroxyl groups are completely stable under the experimental conditions, but with ketals 10 29,110,112 yields are generally observed in the thermal reaction. Double bonds do not seem to interfere seriously with the course of the reaction provided that the geometric relationship of the free hydroxyl group to the angular methyl group is not changed drastically. In some cases allylic acetoxylation occurs, e.g., at C-7 of A -steroids. ° Ketones are usually stable (especially under photo-lytic conditions) but occasionally a-acetoxylation has been observed. 

Ethers have been prepared by the thermal lead tetraaeetate method in 60-71% ° yield. Introduction of an axial 3a-acetoxy function into 5a-H steroids, however, seems to change the conformation of ring A in such a way that the distance of the 2/ -oxygen from the angular methyl group is considerably increased. Consequently the 2/5,19-ether is formed in only 0.7% to 24% yield. " 02... 

The thermal lead tetraaeetate method has no practical value for the substitution of the angular methyl groups from 11/5-hydroxy steroids. The major product is either the 11-ketone" or the lla,l-ether formed by rearrangement if ketone formation is suppressed. " ... 

The removal of angular methyl groups is important in the transformation of steroids and related compounds. In these reactions, the methyl group is oxidized to the aldehyde before fission in which the carbonyl group oxygen is retained in formate (or acetate), and one oxygen atom from dioxygen... 

Attention has been directed to the reactions catalyzed by cytochrome P450s that bring about important reactions leading to the loss of angular methyl groups at C-10 (with concomitant aromatiza-tion of ring A) and C-14, and the C-17 -COCHj side chain. These reactions are discussed further in Chapter 3, Part 1. The transformations of steroids and their precursor lanosterol have been extensively... 

FIGURE 7.41 Demethylation of angular methyl groups (a) in steroids and related compounds, (b) in lanos-terol derivative and (c) summary of reactions for the formation of CHjO. 

Synthetic Applications of the Diels-Alder Reaction. Diels-Alder reactions have long played an important role in synthetic organic chemistry.74 The reaction of a substituted benzoquinone and 1,3-butadiene, for example, was the first step in one of the early syntheses of steroids. The angular methyl group was introduced by the methyl group on the quinone and the other functional groups were used for further elaboration. 

For the substitution of the angular methyl groups in steroids five methods are known (a) homolysis of N-chloramines [Loffier-Freytag reaction (only C-18)] (b) oxidation of alcohols with lead tetraacetate (c) photolysis of nitrite esters (d) homolysis of hypochlorites (e) the hypoiodite reaction. ... 

The three-membered ring in metal-ketyl anion-radicals can be readily opened. In steroid synthesis, this reaction is a classic procedure for introducing angular methyl groups (Dauben and Deviny 1966 Scheme 7.45). 

Substituents of the steroid core lie either approximately in the same plane as the ring (e = equatorial) or nearly perpendicular to it (a = axial). In threedimensional representations, substituents pointing toward the observer are indicated by an unbroken line (P position), while bonds pointing into the plane of the page are indicated by a dashed line (a position). The so-called angular methyl groups at C-10 and C-13 of the steroids always adopt the p position. 

The basic structure of all steroid hormones is similar (see Chapter 60, Fig. 60.4). The addition of a hydrogen atom at position 5 and an angular methyl group at positions 18 and 19 establishes the basic chemical framework for androgenic activity. 

Typical examples are 1,3-diequatorial hydrogens in conformationally fixed alicyclic or heterocyclic six-mcmbered rings where J values of up to 2 Hz arc found. A related structural feature with significant VH H values involves the hydrogens of axial angular methyl groups which often occur in steroidal or terpenoid molecules. 

Angular alkylations of fused-ring ketones are an important step in syntheses of terpenoids, steroids and related natural products. The steric course of these alkylations has therefore been the subject of several systematic investigations and has been reviewedl 3 71. Alkylation of the lithium enolate 38 (R = H) derived from octahydro-1 (2//)-naphthalenone (1 -decalone) primarily yields the civ-fused octahydro-8a-methyl-l(2F/)-naphthalenone (39, R = H)35,62,79. Due to steric reasons, the lithium enolate 38 (R = CH3), with an angular methyl group, provides the irans-fused product 39 (R = CH3). 

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