Abstract We report an improved, economical formal route to enantiomerically pure anti- benzo [a] pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE). A trimethylaluminum catalyzed regio-and stereoselective opening of racemic 7, 8-epoxy-7, 8, 9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo [a] pyrene with Mosher's acid delivers benzylic esters exclusively. This step is a significant improvement over the lack of regioselectivity of standard procedures. We also show that modification of ...