Synthesis of Carbocyclic Homo-N-Nucleosides from Iridoids

Abstract

Two iridoid glucosides, antirrhinoside (1) and catalpol (2), were converted into selectively protected polysubstituted cyclopentylmethanols, which were subsequently used to prepare carbocyclic homo-N-nucleosides (5, 6 and 14). A purine moiety was introduced either by the Mitsunobu reaction or by substitution of a primary triflate with the tetrabutylammonium salt of 6-iodopurine. The latter method was superior with regard to both ease of purification and yield. The N-9 vs. N-7 regioselectivity of the salts of different 6-substituted purine derivatives was briefly investigated.