Hydroformylation of 3,4-di-0-acetyl-~-xylal gave 4,5-di-0-acetyl-2,6-anhydro-3-deoxyaldehyde-D-lyxo-hexose (I) and 4,5-di-0-acetyl-2,6-a1~hydro-3-deoxy-uldehydo-~-xylo-hexose iII). llethyl sulfoxide oxidation of 2,3-di-0-acet~~1-1,5-anhydro-4-deoxy-~-u~ubino-hexitol (111) and of 2,3-di-0-acetyl-l,5-anhl-dro-L-xylo-hex (IV) yielded compoullds I and 11, respectively.Reaction of 3,4,6-tri-0-acetyl-D-glucal with carbon inonoxide and hydrogen under carefully controlled conditions yielded 4,5,7-tri-0-acetyl-2,6-anhydro-3-deoxy-uldehydo-~-~unno-heptose (VII) and 4 , . 5 , 7 -t r i -0 -a c e t y l -2 , 6 -a n h y d r o -3 -d e o x~c o -h e p t o s e (VIII) in a 707; yield. Compound V I I was readily separated from the mixture of aldoses and alditols by column chromatography. Alternatively, aldoses VII and VIII were separated via their P,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones. The co~lversio~l of aldoses \;I1 and VIII into their diethyl dithioacetal derivatives is also described.The fortnyl group located in an equatorial orientation was found t o be reduced a t a faster rate than its axial counterpart.