regiocontrolled protection of unsymmetrical 1,2- and 1,3-diols has been developed. Different types of protected diols are available from the methylene acetal in a one-pot procedure. Highly regioselective protection of diols with a silyl group at the less hindered hydroxy group as well as with a MOM group at the more hindered one were achieved. The reaction conditions are mild without affecting other functional
facile deprotection of methyleneacetal protection of diols under mild conditions is established. The combination of trimethylsilyl triflate (TMSOTf) and 2,2'-bipyridyl followed by a weakly acidic hydrolysis was effective and the substrates having acid sensitive functional groups can be tolerated under the stated conditions. The selective deprotection between methyleneacetal and benzophenone ketal