Synthesis of novel structurally simplified estrogen analogues.

A library of 17 novel estrogen analogues 3 and 4 containing different substituents at rings A and D (steroid nomenclature) was prepared in a five- to seven-step synthesis. The key transformation is a Sonogashira-coupling of cyclic vinyl iodides of type 7 or 8 with phenylacetylenes of type 9. Reduction of the keto function in 3 led to the estradiol analogue 5.