The synthesis and crystal structure of 5-acetyl-2'-deoxyuridine

5- Acetyl - 2' - deoxyuridine (1) has been synthesised by treating 2' - deoxy - 5 - ethynyluridine with dilute sulphuric acid. Condensation of the trimethylsilyl derivative of 5-acetyluracil with 2-deox-3, 5-di-O-p-toluoyl-α-d-erythropen chloride gave a mixture of α- and β-anomeric blocked nucleosides from which the α-anomer was isolated and the p-toluoyl groups removed to give 5 - acetyl -1 - (α - d - 2- deoxyerythropentofuranosyl) uracil. Only a poor yield of the β-anomer (1) was obtained by this procedure. The UV spectra and m.p. obtained for 1 differed from the values quoted in the literature. The crystals of 1 are monoclinic, space group P2₁, with a = 9.525, b = 12.16, c = 5.22 Å, β = 92.03° and two molecules in the unit cell. The structure was refined by least-squares calculations to R 3.4% for 1426 observed counter amplitudes. The pyrimidine ring is essentially planar with the acetyl group inclined at 6° to it. The sugar ring has the highly unusual C(4')-exo conformation and the arrangement about C(4')-C(5') is such that O(5') is oriented gauche with respect to both O(1') and C(3'). The glycosidic torsion angle O(1')-C(1')-N(1)-C(6) is 56° (anti conformation).