949 each of which is included by reference herein for example when an o co c 1 c 6 alkyl or o co phenyl group is desired a mono di trihydroxy compound of formula ia or ib is reacted with an agent such as acyl chloride bromide cyanide or azide or with an appropriate anhydride or mixed anhydride the reactions are conveniently carried out in a basic solvent such as pyridine lutidine quinoline or isoquinoline or in a tertiary amine solvent such as triethylamine tributylamine methylpiperidine and the like the reaction also may be carried out in an inert solvent such as ethyl acetate dimethylformamide dimethylsulfoxide dioxane dimethoxyethane acetonitrile acetone methyl ethyl ketone and the like to which at least one equivalent of an acid scavenger such as a tertiary amine has been added if desired acylation catalysts such as 4 dimethylaminopyridine or 4 pyrrolidinopyridine may be used see e g haslam et al tetrahedron 36 2409 2433 1980 the present reactions are carried out at moderate temperatures in the range from about 25 u00b0 c to about 100 u00b0 c frequently under an inert atmosphere such as nitrogen gas however ambient temperature is usually adequate for the reaction to run acylation of a 2 39 3 39 and or 4 39 position hydroxy group also may be performed by acid catalyzed reactions of the appropriate carboxylic acids in inert organic solvents acid catalysts such as sulfuric acid polyphosphoric acid methanesulfonic acid and the like are used when a formula i compound is desired in which the 2 39 3 39 and or 4 39 position hydroxy group of a formula ia or ib compound is converted to a group of the formula o so 2 c 2 c 6 alkyl the mono di or trihydroxy compound is reacted.