A Direct Synthesis of Nucleoside Analogs Homologated at the 3′‐ and 5′‐Positions

A new route is presented to prepare analogs of nucleosides homologated at the 3′‐ and 5′‐positions. This route, applicable to both the D ‐ and L ‐enantiomeric forms, is suitable for the preparation of monomeric bis‐homonucleosides needed for the synthesis of oligonucleotide analogs. It begins with the known monobenzyl ether 3 of pent‐2‐yne‐1,5‐diol, which is reduced to alkenol 4 . Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of 4 , followed by opening of the epoxide 5 with allylmagnesium bromide, gives a mixture of diols 6 and 7 . Protection of the primary alcohol as a silyl ether followed by treatment with OsO₄, NaIO₄, and mild acid in MeOH, followed by reduction, yields (2R,3R) {{(tert‐butyl)diphenylsilyl]oxy}methyl}tetrahydro‐2‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐5‐methoxyfuran (=methyl 3‐{{(tert‐butyl)diphenylsilyl]oxy}methyl}‐2,3,5‐trideoxy‐α/β‐D ‐erythro‐hexafuranoside; 10 ) (Scheme 1). Protected nucleobases are added to this skeleton with the aid of trimethylsilyl triflate (Scheme 2). The o‐toluoyl (2‐MeC₆H₄CO) and p‐anisoyl (4‐MeOC₆H₄CO) groups were used to protect the exocyclic amino group of cytosine. The bis‐homonucleoside analogs 11 and 14a are then converted to monothiol derivatives suitable for coupling (Schemes 3 and 4) to oligonucleotide analogs with bridging S‐atoms. This synthesis replaces a much longer synthesis for analogous nucleoside analogs that begins with diacetoneglucose (=1,2 : 5,6‐di‐O‐isopropylideneglucose), with the stereogenic centers in the final products derived from the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation. The new route is useful for large‐scale synthesis of these building blocks for the synthesis of oligonucleotide analogs.