The reductive opening of chiral oxetanes 1, ent-1, 4 and 7 with lithium powder and a catalytic amount of DTBB (5 mol%) in THF at 0 degrees C or -20 degrees C, followed by treatment with different electrophiles [H2O, D2O, (BuCHO)-C-t, PhCHO, Me2CO, (CH2)(5)CO and CO2] at -78 degrees C leads, after hydrolysis with water to functionalised alcohols 3, ent-3, 6 and 9. Monoprotected diols 6d and 9d give enantiomerically pure 1,2,5-triols 10 and ent-10 or spirohydroxyethers 11 and ent-11 under acidic conditions in methanol in almost quantitative yield. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.