Abstract 5-Methylene-2-oxo [1, 3, 2] dioxathiane (2) was obtained in 91% yield from 2- methylenepropane-1, 3-diol (1) and thionyl chloride. The cyclic sulfite 2 reacts with a variety of nucleophiles to give formally monosubstituted products 3 of the diol 1 in 62− 77% yield. Oxidation of 2 with RuCl 3/NaIO 4 yields the diprotected tetraol 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2, 2-dioxo [1, 3, 2] dioxathian-5-ol (7) in 86% yield, which can be used to easily access ...
