Hetero Diels-Alder reactions of optically active 3-(p-tolylsulfinyl)-2-furaldehyde with 1-methoxy-3-(trimethylsilyloxy)-buta-1,3-diene (Danishefsky's diene) in the presence of a Lewis acid has been examined. The reaction in the presence of 1.0 equiv, of Ln(OTf)(3) (Ln = Yb, Nd and Sm) followed by acidic workup produced in good yields (68-88%) the hetero Diels-Alder adduct with high diastereoisomeric excesses (93-98% d.e.'s), whereas in the presence of an NMR shift reagent, tris(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate)europium [Eu(thd)(3)] the corresponding diastereoisomer was obtained as the major adduct in excellent yield with 77% d.e. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd