5′-Epimeric 3′-deoxy-3′,4′-didehydronucleoside-5′-C-phosphonates: synthesis and structural assignment by NMR and X-ray analyses

Epimeric 5′-(RS) dialkyl 3′-deoxy-3′,4′-didehydro-5′-C-phosphonates were prepared by nucleophilic addition of various dialkyl phosphites to 3′-deoxy-3′,4′-didehydronucleoside-5′-aldehydes. Whereas direct NMR configuration assignment for the C5′ atom bearing the phosphoryl and hydroxy groups using the J (P,H4′) and J (H5′,H4′) coupling constants is impossible due to the absence of the H4′ atom, successful separation, crystallisation and X-ray crystallographic analysis of a pair of epimeric 5′-C-phosphonates, followed by correlation with a series of NMR parameters, led to efficacious configuration assignment of individual epimers in the mixtures.