Selective reduction with lithium in ammonia containing a small amount of ethanol, followed by chromatographic purification of the resulting ketonic mixture afforded octalone 12. This material, like its unsaturated counterpart 4, smoothly afforded a 1, 4 adduct (decalone 13) upon treatment with lithium dimethylcopper. The structure of this 1, 4 adduct was ascertained through hydrogenation of the isopropenyldecalone 5 whereupon a substance with ...
