Total assignment of the 13C spectrum of taraxasteryl acetate by 13C–13C connectivity experiments and determination of the stereochemistry of taraxasterol by X-ray diffraction
13C–13C connectivity (INADEQUATE) experiments have been used to reassign the 13C spectrum of taraxasteryl acetate. This shows that there were ten errors in an earlier 13C spectral assignment for this compound. An X-ray diffraction investigation of taraxasterol shows that ring E adopts a slightly distorted boat conformation. It is suggested that severe steric interactions in the chair form force it to adopt this unusual conformation. On the basis of the 1H–1H coupling constants, it is concluded that taraxasteryl acetate adopts a very similar conformation in solution. Crystals of taraxasterol–ethanol solvate are orthorhombic, space group P21,21,21, wih a = 7.447(1) Å, b = 17.637(2) Å, c = 22.269(4) Å, U = 2925 Å3, and Dcalc = 1.07 g cm−3 for Z = 4.