A naturally-occurring β-(1→3)-D-rhamnotetraose has been constructed under conditions of sequential β -selective mannosylation controlled by the 4,6-O-[1-cyano-2-(2-iodophenyl)-ethylidene] protecting group. The route is concise, proceeding through a late stage radical deoxygenation that successfully uncovers all four deoxy subunits at once. E. hermanii is a member of the family of enterobacteriaceae, related to E. coli. It has been isolated from human wounds and sputum and has demonstrated pathogenicity against humans in vivo. 8 E. hermanii produces a β-lactamase and exhibits a distinctive antibiotic resistance, with resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, and carbenicillin. 9 Degradation studies have resulted in characterization of a repeat (1→3)-β-D-rhamnan from the cell walls of E. hermanii strain ATCC 33651. 10 The high content of the difficult β-D-rhamnosyl linkage, combined with its potential medicinal relevance make this LPS O-chain constituent an appropriate candidate for development of methods aimed at synthesis of the β-D-rhamnopyranosides.The stereoeoselective synthesis of the 1,2-cis-equatorial glycosidic bond as is found in both the β-mannosides and the β-rhamnosides is of perennial difficulty in carbohydrate chemistry. 11 Without the possibility of invoking neighboring group participation, the synthesis of such a linkage is rendered somewhat more sensitive than that of the trans-glycosidic bond. Captivated by this challenge, our group has found considerable success in employing the torsionally and electronically disarming 4,6-O-benzylidene protecting group. 12 In our researches this group has been used to synthesize a variety of β-D-mannopyranosides, including the (1→2), (1→4), and alternating (1→3), (1→4)-mannans. 13 However, even with this technology in hand, the challenge of the cis-glycosidic bond is considerably magnified in the biologically important rhamnopyranosides, which lack the functional arm for incorporation of a benzylidene-type directing effect.In general, strategies for synthesis of polysaccharides containing deoxy-sugars proceed via prior synthesis of an appropriately protected deoxy subunit, followed by extensive optimization of conditions for stereoselective glycosidation; recent efforts in this vein have been frustrated