Reaction of all stereoisomeric 3-acetoxy-4,4-dimethyl-5,6β-epoxy-A-homo-5β-cholestan-4a-ols I-IV with lithium aluminium hydride and reduction of 3-acetoxy-4,4-dimethyl-5,6β-epoxy-A-homo-5β-cholestan-4a-ones XXII and XXIII with sodium borohydride were studied. It was found that reductive opening of the 5β,6β-epoxide ring occured only in the case of the derivatives III and IV due to 5(O)n participation of the 3α-oxygen-containing substituent under formation of the transannular 3α,5α-epoxides VIII and IX, resp. On reduction of the 4a-keto epoxides XXII and XXIII with sodium borohydride the trans-epoxy alcohols III and I were formed. On the basis of 1H NMR data the conformation of the A-ring in the epoxides I-IV, XXII, and XXIII is also discussed.
Synthetic and biosynthetic methods for selective cyclisations of 4,5-epoxy alcohols to tetrahydropyrans