R)-2-phenylpropionic acid by using Jones Reagent'$ and converted to the acid halide with SOCl,/DMF in ether. To a magnetically stirred solution of (R)-a-methylbenzylamine (0.48 g, 4.0 mmol) in toluene (20 mL) was added (R)-phenylpropionic acid chloride (0.3 g, 1.8 mmol). The reaction mixture was then shaken at room temperature for 1 h and washed with dilute HC1 and successively with water. The organic layer was dried (MgSO,) and evaporated to dryness, and the residue was crystallized from ethyl acetate/hexane to give desired product in 62% yield. Anal. Calcd for C17H19NO: C, 80.57; H, 7.56; N, 5.53. Found: C, 80.50; H, 7.52; N, 5.58. Enantiomeric excess was estimated by GLC analysis of diastereomeric amides: R,R form 3.10 min, R,S form 3.40 min (lit.2c 3.14, 3.48).The procedure above described has been used for determination of ee of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (6).Electrophoresis. Polyacrylamide discontinuous gel electrophoresis in nondenaturating conditions was performed according to the method developed by OrnsteinZ0 and by DavkZ1 The concentrations of acrylamide were 8% in the resolving gel and 4% in the stacking gel. The electrophoretic separations were run under constant current output (25 mA). The gels were stained with Coomassie blue G-250. Three lipase P samples were recovered by filtration from the reactions in benzene in the presence of acetic, propionic, and butyric anhydrides, respectively. The enzymes were then extracted from the solid support with an aqueous buffer at pH 7. No differences in the electrophoretic mobility were observed between the three protein samples and a freshly prepared aqueous solution of lipase P. Conversely, acetylation of lipase P with acetic anhydride in aqueous solution'* was complete after 1 h at pH 7.The discovery of hydroxylated metabolites' of vitamin D,, which are more active than commonly used vitamin D3, has induced interest in the synthesis of these compounds. Several reviews2 and papers3 have recently been published on this subject. Uskokovic4 et al. have reported the synthesis of very useful synthon 1 which was transformed into Grundmann ketone 2 and into its hydroxylated derivatives 2a (Scheme I).The synthesis of synthon 1 described by Uskokovic4 et al. started from easily synthesized5 enedione 3 and required 13 steps. We present a simpler six-step synthesis of synthon 1, starting from enedione 3. Recently we reported6 Batcho, A. D.; Sereno, J. F.; Bag giolini, E. G.; Hennessy, B. M.; Uskokovic, M. R. Tetrahedron 1984,40, 2283. Scheme I HO 1 2 , R = H 2a. R=OH Scheme I1 3 H3? fi 1 4 OH w I H 7 H 8 H Qthe stereoselective reductive addition of electrophiles to enedione 3, which led to trans-7a-methyloctahydro-1Hindene-1,5-dione derivatives. This reductive additions involve hydride transfer from the complex of tert-butyl-(5) Hajos, Z. G.; Parrish, D. R. J. Og. Chem. 1974, 39, 1615. (6) Daniewski, A. R.; Kiegiel, J.; Piotrowska, E.; Warchol, T.; Wojciechowska, w.