Investigations on Steroids. III. Pyrolytic Elimination of the Tertiary 17β-Hydroxyl Group.

Abstract

Pyrolysis of androstane derivatives which contain 17β-hydroxy-17α-methyl grouping was shown to afford three kinds of dehydration products : 17-methyl-⊿¹⁶, 17-methylene, and 17, 17-dimethyl-18-nor-⊿¹³-compounds. The last compound was formed by a Wagner-Meerwein type rearrangement.