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4-(Diphenylphosphino)benzoic acid was used for the Mitsunobu reaction as a bifunctional reagent that served as both a reductant and a pronucleophile. When combined with di-2-meth­oxyethyl azodicarboxylate, inversion of a secondary alcohol stereospecifically occurred to give an ester carrying a phosphine oxide group. The reaction mixture was directly hydrolyzed to give an inverted secondary alcohol in sufficient stereo and chemical purities by the presently developed chromatography-free process in conjunction with basic extraction, drying, and concentration.

A robust method for preparing (3S)-3-alkyl-3-phenyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-diones was developed using an improved cyclocondensation reaction between (S)-α-alkylmandelic acids and 2-bromocarbonyl halides. Subtle differences in the reaction conditions, including separate additions of triethylamine, significantly increased the yield compared with Schollkopf's original method.

We developed an efficient method for the silylation of alcohols using anilinosilane with tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) catalyst, wherein TMS, TES and TBS groups were smoothly introduced into silylation-resistant hindered alcohols under mild conditions.

A practical and highly stereoselective method for the preparation of three cis-2-substituted 5-methyl (or phenyl)-l,3-dioxolan-4-ones 3a and 7a (Seebach and Frater's chiral template), and a new modified analogue 7b has been developed. The present robust method utilized reactive 2-methoxy-1,3-dioxolane intermediate 4 and the reaction proceeded more smoothly under milder reaction conditions than in previously reported methods. Desired products 3a, 7a, and 7b were easily purified by distillation or recrystallization, i.e. column chromatographic purification, was not necessary.