The indole nucleoside antibiotics neosidomycin 5 and SF-2140 3 have been synthesized. Methyl 4deoxy-2,3-0-isopropylidene-a-~-/yxo-hexopyranoside 8 was converted into methyl 1 -chloro-l,4dideoxy-2,3-di-O-pivaloyl-~-~-/yxo-hexopyranuronate 33 in five steps. Silver(i) -catalysed coupling of compound 33 with 3-(cyanomethyl) indole 20 gave stereoselectively an a-nucleoside which was converted into methyl 1 -[3-(carbamoylmethyl) indol-1 -yl] -1.4-dideoxy-a-o-/yxo-hexopyranuronate (neosidomycin, 5). Coupling of compound 33 to 3-cyanomethyl-4-methoxyindole 23 by the sodium salt procedure, and subsequent deacylation, gave methyl 1 -(3-cyanomethyl-4-methoxyindol-1 -yl) -1,4-dideoxy-a-~-/yxo-hexopyranuronate (SF-21 40, 3). Neosidomycin, SF-21 40, and their 0acyl derivatives adopt a conformation which differs from that of 1 -(6-O-benzoyl-4-deoxy-2,3-0pivaloyl-~-~-/yxo-hexopyranosyl)-3-(cyanomethy1)indole 29, in which the methyl uronate grouping of the antibiotics is present at a lower oxidation level.