Synthetic equivalents, 1,1-bis-hydroxymethyl methylene oxides 7, 18, o
f trisubstituted carbinol derivatives such as the disymmetrized tetrah
edral tris(hydroxymethyl) methanol 17 have been obtained in enantiomer
ically pure form from (R)-methyl-p-tolylsulfoxide, glycolic acid ethyl
ester and diazomethane.