Introduction of aliphatic amino and hydroxy groups to keto steroids using O-substituted hydroxylamines.

(Aminooxy)butyl- and -hexylamines and alcohols were synthesized by the Ing-Manske modification of the Gabriel synthesis. The aminooxy group of these heterobifunctional spacer reagents is a far more powerful nucleophile than the amino or hydroxy group because of the oxygen atom adjacent to the amino group (alpha-effect). The aminooxy group reacts readily with keto groups while the amino or hydroxy (or other) group remains free for further reactions. These excellent heterobifunctional spacer reagents were used here to derivatize keto steroids in an alkaline alcoholic solution. Using the described, general, and easy one-step synthesis, aliphatic amino or hydroxy groups with a spacer arm have been introduced to testosterone, 6-ketoestradiol, and cortisol.