6 2 with ethanolic potassium hydroxide afforded aldehyde 3 in 60% yield. Alcohol 2 was easily obtained quantitatively as an oil by catalytic hydrogenation of 1 and had ir absorption bands (neat) at 3540, 3420, 1340 and 1183 cm-l and nmr (CDCl,) signals at 6 5.08-4.88 (m, 1, CHOSO,), 4.15-3.95 (m, 1, CHOH), 3.22 (s, S02CH3), 2.62 (s, 1, OH), and 2.50-1.40 (m, 12, other ring protons).
