The role of 2-deoxy sugars as constituents of important biologically active compounds, eg, cardenolides, is well known. The synthesis of such compounds, partial or otherwise, is therefore of immediate interest; hence, a method for the preparation of reasonably stable, crystalline, acylated glycosyl halides of 2-deoxy sugars should have considerable import. I t was in this connection that we turned to a study of 2, 6-dideoxy-@-~-ribo-hexo-pyranose ( ...