[A deep colored antimony compound from dehydroepiandrosterone (3beta-hydroxy-5-androstene-17-one). 79. Steroids and Sterines].

Heating of dehydroepiandrosterone under nitrogen with a concentrated solution of SbCl3 in C6H5COCl (3 h at 90 degrees C) leads to a dark violet-coloured crystalline product of the composition C38H46Cl7O2Sb2 with antomony in a trivalent state. Treatment with hydrochloric acid yields an antomony-free brown-coloured product of the composition C38H40O2 with a molecular weight of 530 +/- 10%. Upon catalytic hydrogenation, it binds 6 moles of H2, yielding a yellow crystalline material which reacts already at room temperature with dilute SbCl3 to a bluish-violet solution.