The methyl enol ether is a useful protecting agent for alcohols, e.g. in nucleotide synthesis, with the advantage over 3,4-Dihydro-2H-pyran, that no new asymmetric center is introduced on reaction with a chiral alcohol: J. Am. Chem. Soc., 89, 3366 (1967); Tetrahedron, 26, 1023, 1031 (1970).