An expedited approach to the vitamin D trans-hydrindane building block from the Hajos dione.

Efficient and operationally simple synthesis of the key trans-hydrindane alcohol building block for the synthesis of calicitriol (1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)) has been developed. Epoxy alcohol prepared almost quantitatively from the Hajos dione was reduced at the quaternary carbon by the Hutchins procedure (NaBH(3)CN-BF(3).Et(2)O). The diol was selectively deoxygenized either using the Barton-McCombie reaction (with Bu(3)SnH-AIBN) or via the respective iodohydrine (with LiAlH(4)). [reaction: see text]