Dehydroepiandrosterone → androst-5-en-3-ol

Reaction equation

[CH3:1][C@@:2]12[C:10](=O)[CH2:9][CH2:8][C@H:7]1[C@@H:6]1[CH2:12][CH:13]=[C:14]3[CH2:19][C@@H:18]([OH:20])[CH2:17][CH2:16][C@:15]3([CH3:21])[C@H:5]1[CH2:4][CH2:3]2.C([O-])(=O)C.[Na+].Cl.C(OC(=O)[C@H](CS)N)C>C(O)C>[OH:20][C@H:18]1[CH2:17][CH2:16][C@@:15]2([CH3:21])[C:14](=[CH:13][CH2:12][C@@H:6]3[C@@H:5]2[CH2:4][CH2:3][C@@:2]2([CH3:1])[C@H:7]3[CH2:8][CH2:9][CH2:10]2)[CH2:19]1

Participants

Procedure

Following the procedure described by Djerassi (C. Djerassi, N. Crossley and M. A. Kielczewski, J. Org. Chem. 27, 1112, 1962), dehydroepiandrosterone (2.88 g, 10 mmol) is dissolved in anhydrous ethanol, sodium acetate is added followed by L-cysteine ethyl ester hydrochloride (18 g, 100 mmol) and the mixture is heated overnight under an argon atmosphere. The reaction mixture is then evaporated under vacuum. Methylene chloride is added to precipitate excess of L-cysteine ethyl ester hydrochloride. The solution is then filtered and the filtrate is washed twice with water, dried on magnesium sulfate, filtered and evaporated under vacuum. The residue is triturated with ethanol to give crystals.