Deoxygenation reaction of steroidal 16, 17-ketols 1, 2 and 6 as well as their silyl ethers 3 and 7 and 16-and 17-iodoketone analogs 11, 12, and 14 with trimethylsilyl iodide (TMSI) or HI under various conditions was examined. The results indicate that the deoxygenation producing 16-and 17-ketones 9 and 8 proceeds through multiple reaction pathways; a direct iodination of a siloxy group of the ketol silyl ethers by iodide ion to give the iodoketones ( ...