Stereospecific and regioselective opening of an oxirane system. A new efficient entry to 1- or 3-monoacyl- and 1- or 3-monoalkyl-sn-glycerols

Acyl or alkyl glycidols in the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) and trifluoroacetate anions, undergo a regioselective and stereospecific opening of the oxirane system to produce the bis(trifluoroacetylated) derivatives, from which the corresponding 1(3)-monoacyl-sn-glycerols or 1(3)-monoalkyl-sn-glycerols can be obtained directly in high purity (>99%) and in quantitative yields.