Regioselective Ring Opening of 1,3‐Dioxane‐Type Acetals in Carbohydrates

The (regio)selective manipulation of hydroxyl groups in carbohydrates has been a long‐standing challenge in (bio)organic chemistry and continues to trigger the creative minds of many chemists. Among the various strategies that have been developed to address these issues, mostly relying on multistep procedures involving the use of protecting groups, the regioselective ring opening of 1,3‐dioxane‐type acetals has emerged as a powerful tool. Since the first papers on this subject appeared in the 1960s, a large variety in both acetal types and reagents for their partial cleavage has come to the fore. This review aims to give an overview of the different carbohydrate‐derived ring systems, ranging from four‐ to seven‐membered rings, on which regioselective ring‐openings have been performed, along with the appropriate reagents and combinations thereof. The transformations on 1,3‐dioxane acetals fit in a larger group of ring opening reactions of structurally related cyclic functional groups, including 1,3‐dioxolanes, 1,3‐oxathianes, orthoesters, cyclic carbonates and silylene acetals, which will not be discussed in this review.