A new synthesis of (±) and (+)-2, 6, 7, 7a-tetrahydro-1β-hydroxy-4-formyl-7aβ-methylindenes

A new method for the preparation of the synthon (±)-2,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1β-hydroxy-4-formyl-7aβ-methylindene (1,a) for the total synthesis of steroids in both (±) and (+) forms, starting from the known β-ketoester, (±)-methyl 1β-t-butoxy-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-7aβ-methyl-5-keto-4-indancarboxylate (2,a) has been described. An alternative route to (1,a) has been investigated. Although the compound, (±)-1β-hydroxy-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-7aβ-methyl-5-keto-4-methoxymethylindan (2,b) could not be prepared, interesting pathways leading to two unexpected products, (±)-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7a-dimethyl-5H-indene-1,5-dione and (±)-2,6-diketo-3-methyltricyclo-(5,2,1,0)decan-8-ol (3 and 4), were encountered during an attempted annelation reaction of the ketone, N-diethylamino-5-methoxypentan-3-one (6), with 2-methylcyclopentan-1,3-dione (5). Trapping of the intermediate, (±)-3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-3a-hydroxy-4-methylene-7a-methylindene-1,5-dione (7), through the formation of the adduct, (±)-3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-3a-hydroxy-4-(1′, 3′-diketo-2′-methylcyclopentano-2′-methylene)-7a-methylindene-1,5-dione (8), established the mechanism of the formation of the products (3 and 4).