Crystal and molecular structure of 17β-hydroxy-17α-methyl-5α-androst-1-en-3-one hemihydrate

Abstract

Crystals of the title compound are orthorhombic, a= 10·464(1), b= 22·738(2), c= 7·463(1)Å, space group P2₁2₁2, Z= 4. The structure was determined from diffractometer data by direct methods, and refined by full-matrix least-squares methods to R 0·062 for 871 observed reflexions. Ring A is a distorted sofa, rings B and C have regular chair conformations, and ring D approximates to a C(13) envelope. The water molecule lies on the crystallographic two-fold axis and provides a hydrogen bond ‘bridge’ between two steroid molecules with an O–H ⋯ O distance of 2·89 Å. Another O–H ⋯ O hydrogen bond (2·76 Å) provides the ‘head-to-tail’ linkage between carbonyl oxygen and hydroxy-group of adjacent molecules, a common feature in many steroid structures.