A suspension of 500 mg 6-α-chlorocortisone (or 6-α-chloro-17-α-hydroxy 21
acetoxy-δ4-pregnene-3,11,20-trione) 25 ml dry tert-butanol, 150 mg selenium
oxide and 0.05 ml pyridine were heated to reflux for 70 hours in a nitrogen
atmosphere. On cooling the mixture was diluted with 50 ml ethyl acetate,
filtered through Cilite and thoroughly washed with ethyl acetate. Ethyl acetate
was distilled to a dryness, the dry residue was adsorbed on 25 g of aluminum
oxide and eluated with mixture of benzene, ethyl acetate and ether. The
obtained fractions were distilled to dryness and recrystallized from acetonehexane. 105 mg of 6α-chloro-17,21-dihydroxypregna-1,4-diene-3,11,20-trione
21-acetate (or 6-α-chloro 17,21-α-hydroxy 21-acetoxy-δ1,4-pregnadiene-
3,11,20-trione) was obtained. MP: 217°-219°C. λmax 238 mμ.
