Dihydropyran stereogenic centers formation

As chemists proceeded to synthesize more complicated stmctures, they developed more satisfactory protective groups and more effective methods for the formation and cleavage of protected compounds. At first a tetrahydropyranyl acetal was prepared, by an acid-catalyzed reaction with dihydropyran, to protect a hydroxyl group. The acetal is readily cleaved by mild acid hydrolysis, but formation of this acetal introduces a new stereogenic center. Formation of the 4-methoxytetrahy-dropyranyl ketal eliminates this problem. 

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