The reaction of steroid 2,4-dienes with acetylenes

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Abstract
Reaction of 2,4-cholestadiene, 2,4-androstadien-17-one, or 3-trimethylsiloxy-2,4-cholestadiene with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate or methyl propiolate in boiling xylene results in the cleavage of rings A and B and the formation of 4-(2-arylethyl)-5-isopropenyl-7a-methyltetrahydroindane derivatives. They are considered to be formed via Diels–Alder addition of the acetylene to the steroid diene followed by a retro-Diels–Alder cleavage of the resulting bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene system. Attempts to isolate the Diels–Alder adducts by carrying out the additions at lower temperature were unsuccessful, since no reaction occurred. However, when 2,4-androstadien-17-one was treated with dicyanoacetylene in boiling benzene, it was possible to isolate a mixture of two stereoisomeric Diels–Alder adducts containing the bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene system in ring A; this was converted in boiling xylene to a retro-Diels–Alder product analogous to the products obtained with the other acetylenic dienophiles.

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