Synthetic approaches to three cyclic 2,4,5,6-tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)pyridin-3-ol acetonides were developed. Among seven possible mono-and diketals, six-membered cyclic ketal incorporating the hydroxymethyl group in the 4-position turned out to be the most thermodynamically favorable. The experimental data were consistent with the results of quantum-chemical calculations of the Gibbs energies of formation of different acetonides. The structure of the isolated compounds was studied by X-ray diffraction. † Deceased.Functionalization of natural biologically active compounds is one of the most important ways of the design of new medical agents. Such a compound is vitamin B 6 which is incorporated into more than hundred enzymes involved in biosynthesis, metabolism, and regulatory functions in living organism [1].We previously developed a new procedure for the synthesis of 6-methyl-2,3,4-tris(hydroxymethyl)pyridin-5-ol and performed experimental and theoretical studies on cyclic acetonides based thereon [2,3]. While continuing systematic studies on 6-substituted pyridoxine derivatives, in the present work we developed synthetic approaches to previously unknown pyridoxine derivatives containing hydroxymethyl groups in positions 2 and 6, which provided additional possibilities for subsequent functionalization. The key step in the developed approach was rearrangement of the corresponding N-oxide. This rearrangement was used previously to modify methyl group in position 2 of the pyridine ring to obtain the corresponding hydroxymethyl derivative [4,5].In the first step, 6-hydroxymethyl-3,3,8-trimethyl-1,5-dihydro[1,3]dioxepino[5,6-c]pyridin-9-ol (I) was subjected to acylation with acetic anhydride. 9-Acetoxy-6-acetoxymethyl-3,3,8-trimethyl-1,5-dihydro[1,3]-dioxepino[5,6-c]pyridine (II) thus obtained was oxidized with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, and N-oxide III underwent rearrangement in acetic anhydride. The rearrangement selectively involved the methyl group in position 2 of the pyridine ring. All these three steps occurred smoothly and were characterized by high yields (Scheme 1). An attempt to synthesize 2,4,5,6-tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)pyridin-3-ol (VII) by simultaneous removal of all protecting groups in 9-acetoxy-6,8-bis(acetoxymethyl)-3,3-dimethyl-1,5-dihydro[1,3]-dioxepino[5,6-c]pyridine (IV) in acidic medium was unsuccessful (the reaction was accompanied by strong tarring). We succeeded in isolating 6,8-bis(hydroxymethyl)-3,3-dimethyl-1,5-dihydro[1,3]dioxepino-[5,6-c]pyridin-9-ol (V) only with the use of sodium ethoxide, whereas other reagents (such as sodium hydroxide or potassium carbonate in methanol) gave rise to inseparable mixtures of products.Cyclic acetal V turned out to be unstable; on storage at 20°C over a period of two weeks even with protection from atmospheric oxygen and moisture, it underwent appreciable tarring with formation of a number of compounds. By contrast, six-membered