presence of a catalytic amount of NiCl2(dppe) gives the corresponding β-C-aryl glycosides 4. Deacetylation and hydrogenation of 4 leads to the β-C-aryl glycosides 5, which can be used as chiral compounds in the synthesis of chiral liquid crystals. The reaction of compound 5 with aliphatic aldehydes leads to compounds 6; similarly, reaction with p-alkoxy-substituted phenylboronic acids gives the bora