4 5 in pyridine, via the procedure reported by Alvarez and Watt? gave 4 in only 3% yield. Previous workers' had already shown that Corynebacterium simplex could be used to effect aromatization by the microbial dehydrogenation of certain 19-nor-A4-3-ketosteroids. When 3 was submitted to this transformation, the phenol 4, equal in all aspects to authentic sample, was isolated in 74% yield. Finally 4 was reacted to dimethyl sulfate and potassium ...
