Asymmetric reactions (for example, asymmetric epoxidation and asymmetric dihydroxylation) were examined for the desymmetrisation of the meso substrates 1, 1-difuran- 2-ylmethanol, N-(1, 1-difuran-2-ylmethyl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide,(R, S)-1, 4-difuran-2- ylbutane-1, 4-diol and the derivatives of these compounds. The complex OsO 4·(S, S)-1, 2- diphenyl-N, N′-bis (2, 4, 6-trimethylbenzyl) ethane-1, 2-diamine was found to be an ...