Solid-liquid phase-transfer glycosylation (KOH, tris[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl]amine ( = TDA-I ), MeCN) of pyrrolo[2,3-djpyrimidines such as 3a and 3b with an equimolar amount of 5-U-[( 1, I-dimethylethy1)dimethylsilyl~-2,3-U-(l-methylethylidene)-a -D-ribofuranosyl chloride (1) [6] gave the protected 8-o-nucleosides 4a and 4b, respectively, stereoselectively (Scheme). The B-o-anomer 2 [6] yielded the corresponding a -D-nucleosides 5a and 5b with traces of the 8-D-compounds. The 6-substituted 7-deazapurine nucleosides 6a, 7a, and 8 were converted into tubercidin (10) or its a -D-anomer (1 1). Spin-lattice relaxation measurements of anomeric ribonucleosides revealed that T , values of H-C(8) in the a-o-series are significantly increased compared to H-C(8) in the B-D-series while the opposite is true for T , of H-C(1'). I5N-NMR data of 6-substituted 7-deazapurine o-rihofuranosides were assigned and compared with those of 2'-deoxy compounds. Furthermore, it was shown that 7-deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine ( = 2'-deoxytubercidin; 12) is protonated at N( l), whereas the protonation site of 7-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine (20) is N(3).Introduction. -Pyrrolyl anions have been proved to be effective in regioselective glycosylation of pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines. They were employed first by Goto during the synthesis of queosine and were generated with NaH [ 11.In 1983, the synthesis of 7-deazaguanosine and -inosine has been reported by our laboratory using liquid-liquid phase-transfer conditions for anion generation and employing benzyl-protected D-ribofuranosyl bromide during glycosylations [24]. According to the configuration of the bromo sugar, predominant formation of a -D-configurated glycosylation products was observed (a //? 5 : 2). Nevertheless, it was recognized that glycosylation proceeded stereoselectively and was controlled by the anomeric ratio of halogenoses present in the reaction mixture. Unfortunately, it was not possible to generate the anomerically pure bromo sugar separately. Moreover, all attempts to use acyl-protected halogenoses failed. While acyloxonium ions are formed as intermediates, nucleophilic attack of the nucleobase resulted in orthoamides which were not rearranged to nucleosides [ 51. As a consequence, neighbouring-group participation which directs the incoming nucleobase into the /?-face cannot be exploited.Recently, Wilcox and coworkers have described the preparation of a -and /?-D-configurated 2,3-U-isopropylidene-5-0-[(terf-butyl)dimethylsilyl]-~-ribofuranosyl chlorides 1 and 2, respectively [6]. As these halogenoses can be prepared as pure anomers and do not contain a participating substituent at C(2), we have employed them for the synthesis of pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine D-ribofuranosides. In the following, we describe the stereoselective synthesis of either /?-or a -D-configurated tubercidin (10 and 11, resp.) employing the halogenose 1 or 2 upon solid-liquid phase-transfer glycosylation. As now pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine D-ribonucleosides as well as 2'-deoxy-~-ribonucleosides are available in sufficient...