Chemical Properties
Odorless, white, crystalline powder; soluble in ether, acetone, alcohol, and
methanol; practically insoluble in water; sensitive
to light.
Uses
Medicine (estrogenic hormone).
Uses
Hexestrol is
used for the same indications as estrone. It is also used for prostate cancer or its hypertrophy
in men.
Definition
A nonsteroid, synthetic estrogen.
Synthesis
Hexestrol, 4,4-(1,2-diethylethylene)diphenol (28.1.29), is a derivative of |á,|?-
diphenylethane, and it is a synthetic estrogen. Hexestrol is made in a Wurtz dimerization
reaction of 1-bromo-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)propane (28.1.27) in the presence of sodium,
magnesium, aluminum, or iron. The initial 1-bromo-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)propane
(28.1.27) is made in turn by addition reaction of hydrogen bromide to 4-methoxy-1-
propenylbenzene. Subsequent removal of the methoxy protective groups from the resulting
dimerization product (28.1.28) using hydroiodic acid gives hexestrol (28.1.29).
