Reactivity of Some Unsaturated 17-Oxo Steroids under Conditions of Diimide Reduction

Abstract

The olefinic double bond in 17-oxo steroids 1, 5 and 7 is either reduced with diimide very slowly (compound 1) or it cannot be reduced at all (compounds 5 and 7), thus enabling hydrazine (accumulated by disproportionation of the diimide) to react with their respective 17-oxo groups to give hydrazones 3, 6 and 8.

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