ISSN 1017-2548(Print)
ISSN 2234-8530(Online)
Volume 23, Number 1
JKCSEZ 23(1)
February 20, 1979 

The experimental procedures of Beckmann rearrangement mostly involve the use of vigorous conditions such as strongly acidic reagents (conc. HCl, H2SO4, PCl5, etc.) or elevated temperatures, which frequently cause isomerization of ketooximes prior to rearrangement.We have effected the Beckmann rearrangement on 5α-cholestan-3-one oxime using the carbon tetrachloride-triphenylphosphine reagent under mild, neutral conditions to give 3-aza-A-homo-5α-cholestan-4-one. This new, mild, facile and rapid general method of Beckmann rearrangement is presented, and compared with the classical (more conventional) Beckmann reagent of polyphosphoric acid.