Steroids with the β-crotonate (2-butenoate) side chain

Abstract

Ethyl (20E)-3β-methoxymethoxy-24-nor-5,20(22)-choladien-23-oate (Va) and analogous derivatives with 5α,5β and Δ5,14 steroid moiety (Vb,Vc and Vd, respectively) were prepared by Wittig-Horner reaction of the corresponding ketones IIa-IId with diethyl ethoxycarbonylmethylphosphonate. In this case the reaction affords exclusively the (E)-isomers, in contrast with the Peterson reaction with lithium salt of ethyl 2-(trimethylsilyl)acetate which gives a mixture of (E)- and (Z)-isomers at the Δ20(22) double bond. The structure of the products was confirmed by 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The crotonates Va-Vd were further converted into the 3-O-succinyl derivatives VIIIa-VIIId.