Syntheses of 2-deoxy-D-arabino-hexitol (1), D-rhamnitol (2), 1,2-dideoxy-D-arabino-hexitol (3), 2,3-dideoxy-D-erythro-hexitol (4), and some derivatives thereof are described. These compounds were obtained by reductive sequences on various compounds formed from methyl 3,4:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-D-gluconate (9).