Both the anomers for methyl 2,3-dideoxy-D-glycero-pent-2-enofuranoside were characterized and hydrogenated to the corresppnding methyl 2,3-dideoxy-D-glycero-pentofuranosides. The similar compounds were prepared in the pyranoside ring form but in the L-glycero configuration. The anomeric forms for methyl 3-deoxy-L-erytlrro-pentopyranoside are reported together with a number of their derivatives of interest for the study of solvation effects on conformational equilibria (21). The molar rotations of the deoxy and unsaturated glycosides are discussed as are the conformational properties of the various compounds.Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 47, 4413 (1969) In a previous communication (I), the preparation of the four stereoisomeric methyl 4,6-0-benzylidene-2,3-dideoxy-D-hex-2-enopyranosides was accomplished, in each case, by opening of the epoxide ring of a parent 2,3-anhydro derivative to the corresponding iodohydrin which was treated with either p-toluenesulfonyl (tosyl) or methanesulfonyl (mesyl) chloride in pyridine. We wish to report a modified procedure which allowed the preparation of the anomeric forms both for methyl 2,3-dideoxy-D-glycero-pent-2-enofuranoside (4c and 9c) and for methyl 2,3-dideoxy-L-glycero-pent-2-enopyranoside (17c and 18c).Methyl 5-0-benzoyl-2,3-dideoxy-P-D-glyceropent-2-enofuranoside (9a) was first prepared by reaction of 3,5-di-0-benzoyl-D-erythro-pent-1-enofuranose with methanol (2). The p-D-configuration was later assigned by an alternative synthesis (3,4) involving reduction of methyl 5-0-benzoyl-2,3-di-0-tosyl-P-D-ribofuranoside by the method of Tipson and Cohen (5). The physical constants and nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.) spectrum reported for 9a indicate that this compound was not pure. Also, the n.m.r. signal for Hz was erroneously assigned to HI. It is of interest to note that several 2',3'-unsaturated nucleosides have been prepared (6-10).The 5-0-benzoyl derivative (la) of the readily available methyl 2,3-anhydro-a-D-lyxofuranoside (I 1) was treated with sodium iodide in acetone in the presence of acetic acid and sodium acetate as described previously (1). The spectrum of the sirupy product (2a) required high purity. That the epoxide opening followed the normal course (attack at the 3-position) for a 2,3-anhydrofuranoside (12,13) was established by benzoylation of the iodohydrin 2a to 2c followed by hydrogenolysis to yield crystalline methyl 2,5-di-0-benzoyl-3-deoxy-a-D-theo pentofuranoside (3). This 3-deoxy structure was required since the anomeric proton (singlet at r 4.85) was not appreciably coupled to either of the methylene protons at r 7.35 and 8.05. The quartet at .r 5.35 was assigned to Hz and the spacings indicated 6.5 Hz coupling with the methylene proton (H,) at r 7.35, and 1.6 Hz coupling with that (H,) at r 8.05. Spin decoupling also showed the methylenic protons to be coupled with a signal forming part of a multiplet (H4, H,, and H,,) centered at r 5.5 and assigned to H,.Following the previously reported procedure for the reduction of iodohydrins to olef...