Enantioselective catalytic approach to the C23-C28 subunit of 24α-methyl steroids.

Enantioselective synthesis of C23-C28 subunit of campestane steroids based on catalytic methods is reported. The synthesis was started from (S)-2-isopropyl-4-nitrobutan-1-ol, which is easily accessible by the reaction between isovaleraldehyde and nitroethylene catalyzed by only 2% of (S)-trimethylsilyldiphenylprolinol. Removal of one "extra" carbon from the nitroalcohol was achieved by Ni-catalyzed hydrodecarboxylation of the redox-active ester intermediate.

Stereoselective synthesis of α-methyl and α-alkyl ketones from esters and alkenes via cyclopropanol intermediates.

Alkenes bearing a stereocenter in the allylic position were found to undergo Kulinkovich hydroxycyclopropanation with good diastereoselectivity. For the isomerization of the resulting cyclopropanols to diastereomerically enriched α-methyl ketones, a new mild regioselective method has been developed. A sequence of stereoselective cyclopropanation and cyclopropanol ring opening was successfully employed for the construction of the C20 stereocenter in steroids.