Kinetic v. Thermodynamic Effects During a Wolff-Kishner Reduction

A Wolff-Kishner reduction is discussed which leads to kinetic products through reduction of hydrazones derived from thermodynamically less-stable ketones of an equilibrium mixture. The syntheses and conformational analyses of a range of 9-substituted 2, 3, 6, 7-tetramethyldecahydroanthracenes are discussed.