Water → 17-Cyano-9,17-dihydroxyandrost-4-ene-3-one

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Reaction Steps

Sulfuric acid (2.07 ml) is added to 9α-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (I, 21.14 g) and potassium cyanide (6.70 g) slurried in methanol (71.5 ml) and water (6.8 ml) at <5°. The mixture is allowed to warm to 15° over 0.5 hr, then warmed to 30° over 1 hr. The mixture is stirred at 30° for 2.5 hr, then cooled to 2° and sulfuric acid (0.32 ml) is added. The mixture is then stirred at 30° for 2 hr and water (13 ml) is added. Next, water (52 ml) is added over 12 hr, maintaining the mixture at 30°. The mixture is stirred 5 hr at 30°, then cooled to 0° and quenched with sulfuric acid (1 ml). Methanol (89 ml) is added and the mixture is heated to 55°. The solvent is then removed by reduced pressure until the boiling point begins to rise rapidly. The mixture is then cooled to 32° and water (105 ml) is added over 12 min. The mixture is further cooled to 0° and the the solids are collected by vacuum filtration and washed with water to give the title compound, mp 230°-233° (with decomposition). ##STR1##

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