AbstractThe ‘syn’‐1,3‐diols3,4and5with a C7, C6, and C5chain, respectively, were synthesized from methyl hydrogen 3‐hydroxyglutarate (2;Schemes 1and2). The latter is available in (R)‐ and (S)‐configuration. Octyl (3R)‐4‐chloro‐3‐hydroxybutanoate (17) is an alternative starting material for the preparation of5(Scheme 3.) The epoxide20, derived from5in a one‐pot reaction, is a versatile synthon, which selectively reacts with a great number of