The oxidation reagent is prepared by dissolving 70 g. (0.70 mole) of chromium trioxide in 100 ml. of water in a 500-ml. beaker. The beaker is immersed in an ice bath, and 112 g. (61 ml., 1.10 moles) of concentrated (18M) sulfuric acid followed by 200 ml. of water is added cautiously with manual stirring. The solution is cooled to 0–5°.

A solution of 110 g. (1.00 mole) of nortricyclanol (Note 1) in 600 ml. of acetone (analytical reagent grade) is cooled to 0–5° in a 2-l. three-necked flask immersed in an ice bath and equipped with an efficient mechanical stirrer, a thermometer, and a dropping funnel with a pressure-equalizing arm. The cooled oxidation reagent prepared above is poured into the dropping funnel, and the reagent is added with vigorous stirring, at a rate to maintain the temperature of the reaction mixture at about 20°. The stirring is continued for 3 hours after the addition is completed.

Sodium bisulfite is added in small portions until the brown color of chromic acid is gone from the upper layer of the two-phase mixture. The top layer is decanted, and the dense, green, lower layer is extracted with 200 ml. of 30–60° petroleum ether. Combination of this extract with the original upper layer causes a separation into two phases. The lower phase is drawn off and added to the original lower phase, which is then extracted with there 200-ml. portions of 30–60° petroleum ether (Note 2). The extracts are combined, washed successively with two 50-ml. portions of saturated sodium chloride, two 50-ml. portions of saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, and 50 ml. of saturated sodium chloride solution, and dried over magnesium sulfate. The solvent is removed by distillation through a short column containing glass helices, and the residue is distilled under reduced pressure to give 85–95 g. (79–88%) of nortricyclanone, b.p. 103–105° (77 mm.), n²⁶D 1.4873 (Note 3) and (Note 4).