ELECTROCHEMICAL REDUCTION OF .alpha.,.beta.-UNSATURATED KETO-STEROIDS

摘要

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREKeto-steroids are produced from .alpha., .beta. - unsaturatedketo-steroids by the electrolytic reduction of a double bondin the a, .beta. - position to a keto group. The steroid is reducedby electrolysis in the presence of a nitrogenous solvent, e.g.,methylamine or hexamethylphosphoric acid triamide, and of anelectrolyte salt selected from quaternary ammonium salts of theformula NRlR2R3R4X, in which R1 R2, R3 and R4 each representsan alkyl, aryl or aralkyl group and X represents a halogen atom,a tetrafluoborate, sulphate, perchlorate or alcoholate group oran aryl-or alkyl-sulphonate group, salts of the formula MX, inwhich M represents an alkali metal atom and X has the abovemeaning, and salts of the formula M1X2 in which M1 representsan alkaline earth metal atom and X has the above meaning.