Convenient syntheses of deoxypyranose sugars from glucuronolactone

d-Glucuronolactone is a versatile starting material for the synthesis of a number of deoxy sugars, as shown. The key steps are base-catalysed elimination from a 1β-tetraacylated methyl glucopyranuronate, face-selective hydrogenation, formation and reaction of a glycal and dihydroxylation.