This invention discloses a method for synthesizing medroxyprogesterone acetate intermediates based on a
metal-organic
synergistic catalysis. The method uses 17-acetyl-10,13-dimethyl-3-oxo-2,3,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17-tetradecano-1H-cyclopenta[a]
phenanthrene-17-yl acetate as a starting material. Under the synergistic catalytic
system composed of a chiral α-
amino acid (such as L-
proline) and a Lewis acid
metal salt (such as
zinc acetate), it reacts with a secondary amine and a
formaldehyde source to selectively prepare a 6-
methylene derivative. This invention utilizes the regio-directing effect of amino acids and the activating and stabilizing effect of
metal ions to significantly suppress C2-position side reactions and
dimer formation, resulting in a product yield exceeding 93% and a purity exceeding 99%.
Column chromatography is not required, making it suitable for large-scale industrial production.