Patent GB-1208881-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the preparation of 09-nor steroids and intermediates thereof
IPC: B01J31/00
Filed: 1967-09-19
Abstract: 1,208,881. Preparation of 19-nor-steroids; and 10-oxygenated steroids used therein. SYNTEX CORP. 19 Sept., 1967 [26 Sept., 1966; 12 June, 1967], No. 42621/67. Heading C2U. The invention comprises (1) novel steroids of the formulµ wherein R is H or acyl; R<SP>2</SP> is C 1-6  alkyl; Ac is acyl; Z is in which R<SP>1</SP> is O or α-R<SP>3</SP>(#-OR<SP>4</SP>) wherein R<SP>3</SP> is H or C 1-6  alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl and R<SP>4</SP> is H or acyl; Z<SP>1</SP> is one of the following: in which R<SP>6</SP> is H, OH or O acyl; each of R<SP>7</SP> and R<SP>8</SP> is H or acyl and R<SP>9</SP> is 17α,20;20,21-bisalkylidenedioxy; one of R<SP>10</SP> and R<SP>11</SP> is H and the other is acyl; X is Z except that R<SP>1</SP> is not oxo; and W is Z or Z<SP>1</SP>; (2) a process for preparing a 3-keto-#<SP>4</SP>-19-nor-steroid which comprises treating a 3-keto-5α,10#-dihydroxy steroid or a mono- or di-acylate thereof (or a mixture of the 5- and 10-monoacylates) with a zinc-copper couple in an organic solvent and acetic acid or with zinc in acetic acid, or converting the 5,10- diol or its acylate to the corresponding 3-keto- #<SP>4</SP>-10#-ol or its acylate with a base, treating this product with a zinc-copper couple and isomerizing the resulting 3-keto-#<SP>5(10)</SP>-steroid or treating the 3-keto-#<SP>4</SP>-10#-ol or its acylate with zinc in acetic acid, the starting materials being prepared by treating a 3#-hydroxy-6-hydroxy or -acyloxy-#<SP>5(10)</SP>-steroid with porous nickel in a C 2-6  monohydric alcohol, and treating the 6- unsubstituted product with peracid in an aqueous acidic medium to give a 3#,5α,10#-trihydroxy steroid, and when required acylating this to the triacylate and partially hydrolysing this with an alcoholic base to give the 5,10- diacyloxy-3#-ol, or treating the 6-unsubstituted product with an organic peracid in an anhydrous carboxylic acid reaction medium to give a 5- or 10-monoacylate of a 3#,5α,10#-triol, or treating the 6-unsubstituted product with a peracid in an inert organic solvent to give a 3#-hydroxy- 5,10-oxido-steroid and treating this with aqueous acid to give a 3#,5α,10#-trihydroxy-steroid and oxidizing the 3#-hydroxy group in any of these products to give a 3-keto group or oxidizing the 3#-hydroxy-5,10-oxido steroid directly to the 3-keto-5,10-diol; (3) a process for preparing a 3-hydroxy-#<SP>1,3,5(10)</SP>-steroid which comprises treating a 3-keto-5α-diacyloxy steroid with a strong acid in an aqueous organic solvent at a temperature up to 80‹ C.; and (4) processes for preparing a 3-alkoxy-#<SP>1,3,5(10)</SP>-steroid which comprise treating a 3-keto-5α,10#-diacyloxy steroid with a strong acid in a C 1-6  monohydric alcohol at a temperature up to 60‹ C., or treating a di-acylate or a mixture of the monoacylates of a 3-keto-5α,10#-dihydroxy steroid with a C 1-6  alkyl orthoformate in a C 1-6  alcohol in presence of an acid catalyst at reflux. When it is desired to elaborate a 17-keto steroid at the 17- position this is effected by treatment of the 3- keto-5α,10#-diol or acylate thereof with a C 1-6  alkanol in presence of an acid catalyst to give the corresponding 3α,3#-dialkoxy steroid, conversion of the 17-keto group to a 17#-hydroxy group or its acylate with or without a 17α- alkyl, -alkenyl or -alkynyl group, and hydrolysis of the product with a weak acid in an organic solvent to give the 3-keto steroid. The processes involved in (2), (3) and (4) above are set out in the reaction scheme below (where R is H or acyl, one of R<SP>1</SP> and R<SP>11</SP> is H and the other acyl, and Ac is acyl) which also illustrates the direct conversion of compounds X to XIV by Oppenauer oxidation. Examples illustrate some of the above processes and other standard methods for obtaining novel products. 6 - Acetoxy - 3# - hydroxy - #<SP>5(10)</SP> - steroids used as starting materials are prepared by the action of lead tetra-acetate on the corresponding 6 - unsubstituted - 3#,19 - dihydroxy - #<SP>5</SP>-steroids. The products are mixtures of the 6α- and 6#- isomers. Other 6-acylates, e.g. benzoates, are prepared similarly.