Treatment of the N,N-diisopropylcarbamate of the isosorbide exo monome
thyl ether with n-butyllithium at low temperature induced the opening
of the ring bearing the carbamate moiety. The observed rearrangement l
ed to the corresponding enol carbamate of 3R,4S)-2-acetyl-3-hydroxy-4-
methoxytetrahydrofuran in good yield.