Abstract
3‐Homocholesterol (III), obtained by action of LiAlH4 on cholesteryl‐3‐carboxylic methyl ester (II), which has been prepared from cholesteryl chloride by Grignard reaction, has the same steric configuration (β) at carbon atom 3 as cholesterol. Bromination of its acetate (IV) by means of bromosuccinimide, followed by elimination of HBr, leads to the acetate of 3‐homoprovitamin D3 (Vα).This 3‐homoprovitamin D3 (IX) can be synthesized with a far better yield by introducing first the double bond 7 and then the hydroxymethyl group 3. The magnesium derivative of 7‐dehydrocholesteryl chloride is transformed by CO2 into the carboxylic acid (VII), which is readily methylated with diazomethane. Finally the 7‐dehydrocholesteryl‐3‐carboxylic methyl ester (VIII) is reduced with LiAlH4 to 3‐homoprovitamin D3 (IX).It is pointed out that the ultraviolet absorption characteristic for the conjugated system of double bonds 5‐7 is subjected to an influence of molecular size.

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