A variety of alcohols and phenols, protected as the corresponding benzylsulfonic esters, were efficiently deprotected by selective reductive cleavage of the sulfur-oxygen bond, using an excess of lithium sand and a catalytic amount (5 mol%) of 4,4′-di-tert-butylbiphenyl (DTBB) as electron carrier, in THF at 0° C. This deprotection system was also efficient at -50 °C and was compatible with a wide range of other functional groups.