syw-oxepin oxide (1) in aprotic solvents (CDCI3, CH2CI2, CD2CI2, THF, or CH3CN) with catalytic amounts of MeSOsH led within seconds to the generation of 13. In CDCI3 the addition of MeSC^H (0.1 mol %) catalyzes the quantitative ( NMR) rearrangement of 1 to 13: ir (CDC13) 1725, 1680, 1620, 1260 cm-'; NMR (CDC13, 100 MHz) 9.51 (1 H, d), 6.50 (2 H, m), 4.90 (2 H, m), 3.64 (1 H, m); uv (CH3CN) Xmax 246 (e 590), 310 (110); mass spectrum (70 eV) m/e parent 110, base 81. Exact mass of p-nitrophenylhydrazone: caled forC12Hi,N303, 245.0800; found, 245.0797. Reduction of 13 to 4-Hydroxymethyltetrahydropyran (15). The catalytic reduction of 13 to 4-hydroxymethyltetrahydropyran (15) was achieved in THF-EtOH over Raney nickel catalyst. The catalyst was prepared as for the reduction of 1 to 14, except that the metal was both washed and stored under EtOH rather than THF.