Oxidative dimerization of 7,8-dideoxy-1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-d-glycero-α-d-galacto-oct-7-ynopyranoside (1) gave a high yield of the diyne 2, readily reduced by lithium aluminum hydride to the trans,trans-diene (4). The structures of 2 and 4 were established spectroscopically and by degradation of 4 to d-glycero-d-galacto-heptitol (perscitol). A mixture of the alkyne 1 and its 7-epimer 10 was readily oxidized by dimethyl sulfoxide-acetic anhydride to the 6-ketone 11, and the 8-alkene analog was similarly prepared from the alkenes derived from 1 and 10. Likewise, oxidation of 6,7-dideoxy-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-d-gluco(and β-L-ido)-hept-6-enopyranose gave the corresponding 5-ketone. The acetylenic ketone 11 gave a crystalline oxime and (2,4-dinitrophenyl)hydrazone, the latter being accompanied by the product of attack of the reagent at the acetylene terminus (C-8). Previous work had shown that formyl-methylenetriphenylphosphorane did not convert 1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-6-aldehydo-α-d-galacto-hexodialdo-1,5-pyranose into the corresponding C8 unsaturated aldehyde, although the latter was obtainable via 1 and 10 by an ethynylation-hydroboration sequence. The Wittig route with formylmethylenetriphenylphosphorane is shown to be satisfactory for obtaining C7 unsaturated aldehydes from 3-O-benzyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-5-aldehydo-α-d-xylo-pentodialdo-1,4-furanose (22) and the 3-epimer of 22, respectively. These reactions provide convenient access to higher-carbon sugars and chiral dienes for synthesis of optically pure products of cyclo-addition reactions. © 1979.