Addition of chlorine or bromine to the enediol grouping of tribenzoyl-pentenitol 2 exclusively yields cis-adducts, i. e. 1,2-dihalides of a-~-lyxo (4,6) and S-D-X~~O configuration (5,7). Configurational assignments were based on the titanium tetrahalide-induced anomerization to the corresponding D-D-~~xo (8, 10) and a-~-xylo isomers (9, l l ) , on'HNMR spectroscopic determination of their conformations, and on an X-ray crystal structure analysis of the a-D-xylo dichloride 9. -The 1,2-dibromides are partially hydrolyzed in contact with silica gel, clean hydrolysis being effected by silver carbonate in aqueous acetone, with the stereospecific formation of a-D-threopentosulose 15 from D -X~~O dibromides ( 7 , l l ) and of the p-D-threo anomer 25 from either of the lyxo derivatives (6, 10). The dichlorides are more stable requiring heating with sodium hydrogen carbonate in moist benzene, to give the enantiomeric dihydropyranones 16 (from D-XY~O dichlorides) and 26 (from D -~~X O compounds). -Reactions at the anomeric center of 16 and 26, such as replacement of the benzoyloxy group by halogen, hydroxy, or alkoxy substituents (20-23), lead to racemilation or to elaboration of the y-pyrone system (24). Additions to the enolone grouping, however, proceed with high stereoselectivity as evidenced by the nearly exclusive formation of 4-deoxy-D-erythro-pentose (17) from a-enolone 16 on hydrogenation and debenzoylation, whilst the p-enolone affords the L-enantiomer 27.