A facile method to protect vic diols, 1,3 diols and other hydroxyl fun
ctions as methylene acetals is achieved by treating the relative subst
ances with POCl3 or SOCl2 in DMSO. The good yields obtained, the good
solubility of maw organic compounds in DMSO and the easy hydrolysis of
the 1,3,5-trioxaepane derivatives prepared from trans vic diols make
useful this protecting method. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science
Ltd.