Protecting group effect on the 1,2-dehydrogenation of 19-hydroxysteroids: a highly efficient protocol for the synthesis of estrogens

19-O-Acylation was found to be indispensable for 1,2-dehydrogenation of 19-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione 1a with DDQ as an oxidant after exploring a variety of C-19 substituents. 1,2-Dehydrogenation in combination with subsequent A-ring aromatization via retro-aldol reaction provided a flexible and efficient protocol for the synthesis of estrogens. To demonstrate the utility of the protocol, pharmaceutically attractive estrogens were synthesized from easily available 19-hydroxy-4-ene-3-keto steroids.