Abstract
Meerwein-Ponndorf reduction of 3-methoxy-8, 14-secoestra-1, 3, 5 (10), 9, 15-pentaene-14, 17-dione (III) yielded a mixture of rac-17α- and 17β-hydroxy-3-methoxy-8, 14-secoestra-1, 3, 5 (10), 9, 15-pentaen-14-one (XI and XII). Cyclization of 17β-benzoate of XII gave 3, 16α-dimethoxy estra-1, 3, 5 (10), 8, 14-pentaen-17β-ol 17-benzoate (XV), which was further transformed to rac-estrone (XXT).
