Convenient synthesis of monomeric steroids from steroidal oxalate dimers using flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP)

Flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) or thermolysis (FVT), an environmentally friendly method for studying organic reaction mechanisms as well as synthesis, was applied to a series of oxalate dimers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15) to synthesise monomeric enes, dienes, and a triene (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16). All steroidal monomers were identified by spectroscopic means.