Stereochemistry of nitrogenous heterocycles. 61. Synthesis and configuration of an eighth isomer of 2-methyl-4-hydroxydecahydroquinoline

Reduction of 1-benzoyl-2α-methyl-4-oxo-cis-decahydroquinoline with dodium borohydride and sodium in alcohol has given 1-benzoyl-2α-methyl-4β-hydroxy-cis-decahydroquinoline, which exists in the steroidal conformation with diaxial α, α'-substituents in the piperidine ring and with an equatorial hydroxy-group. Debenzoylation of this has given the last of the eight theoretically possible isomers of 2-methyl-4-hydroxydecahydroquinoline, namely 2α-methyl-4β-hydroxy-cis-decahydroquinoline, which exists in the nonsteroidal conformation with an axial hydroxy-group. IR spectra were obtained on a UR-20 spectrometer in KBr disks, and PMR spectra on a BS487 instrument (80 MHz), internal standard HMDS