THE PREPARATION OF SOME STEROIDS CONTAINING DEUTERIUM

The preparation of several deuterated steroids is described, viz.,(i) the trideuteroacetates of the following alcohols: Δ 5,7,9 -estratrienol-17β;Δ 1,5:10 estrienol-3-one-17 (estrone); androstanol-3a; androstanol-3β; an-drostanol-17β; pregnanol-20a; Δ 5 -pregnenol-3β -one-20; Δ 5 -pregnenol-3β -one-20-d 4 -17,21; Δ 5 -cholestenol-3β; Δ-cholestadienol-3β; ergostanol-3 β; Δ 14 -ergostenol-3β; Δ 22 -5-isoergostenol-3a.(ii) Δ 5 -pregnenol-3 β -one-20-d 3 -21 acetate; Δ -pregnenol-3 β -one-20-d 4 -17,21.(iii) androstanone-3-d 4 ,-2,4; cholestanone-3-d 4 -2,4; Δ 8:14 -ergostenone-3-d 4 -2,4; cholestanone- 7-d 2 -6; androstanone-17-d 2 -16.From difficulties encountered in the preparation of cholestanone-7-d 2 -6, it is inferred that 7-ketones enolize less readily than 3-, 17-, or 20-ketones.