A number of 1 a,3~-dihydroxy-A5-steroids of the cholestane, (20S)-20-methylpregnane (23,24-dinorcholane), pregnane and androstane series were synthesized from common steroidal precursors. A process originally reported by Barton et al., based on 1,4,6-trien-3-ones as intermediates, was used for the introduction of the 1 a-hydroxyl function. The last step of this process, consisting of lithium/ammonia reduction of 1 a,2a-epoxy-4,6-dien-3-ones, was found to be crucial and therefore subjected to particular study. A reproducible procedure permitting high-yield conversion was developed. It consists of first reducing the epoxydienone with an approximately stoichiometric amount of lithium in ammonia to give, after protonation with ammonium chloride, a 1 a-hydroxy-5-en-3-one. This intermediate is then further reduced by repeated alternating treatment with ammonium chloride and an equivalent amount of lithium.
17)Verbindung 21 ist in der Literatur 1451 [46] ohne Angabe physikalischer Daten erwahnt.