Reductive deconjugation of 6 was accomplished by treatment with diethyl phosphonate and triethylamine and resulted in the stereoselective formation of the trans-@, y-unsaturated ketone 7 (77%) with no detectable production of the cis isomer or a,@-unsaturated ketone. This high selectivity is of the key features of the present approach. The ketone 7 was reduced to the alcohol 8 with Na13H4. Hyrolysis of the tert-butyl ester 8 with ...
