Mercuric acetate (3.8 g., 0.012 mole) is dissolved in water (12 ml.) and tetrahydrofuran (20 ml.) is added to give a suspension of a yellow solid. Then, ethyl 8-acetyl-12-methyl-11-heptadecenoate (4.2 g., 0.012 mole) in tetrahydrofuran (20 ml.) is added, and the mixture stirred at room temperature for 24 hours. After 6 hours, the yellow suspended solid has disappeared and a cloudy solution results. To the solution is added 3M sodium hydroxide solution (12 ml.), followed by 0.5M sodium borohydride solution is 3M sodium hydroxide (12 ml.). Liquids are decanted from the precipitated mercury. The organic layer is taken up in ether, washed with three portions of water and dried over sodium sulfate. Evaporation of the ether leaves 4.4 g. of ethyl 8-acetyl-12-hydroxy-12-methylheptadecanoate as a yellowish oil used in the next step without further purification; pmr (CDCl3) δ 0.88 (3H,t), 1.13 (3H,s, CH3COH), 1.25 (3H,t, CH3CH2OCO--), 2.12 (3H,s, CH3CO), 4.12 (2H,q).
