3,5-Bis(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy as a Handle for Late-Stage Functionalization of Purine C-Nucleosides.

C-Nucleosides are an enticing class of nucleoside analogues that carry a C-C glycosidic bond. Despite their interest from a medicinal chemistry point of view, a general and efficient synthesis of 6-modified purine C-nucleoside analogues is lacking. Herein, we present a robust strategy for the construction of a chemically diverse compound library containing three separate purine-like scaffolds with a wide range of substituents. This synthesis was enabled by a 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy (BTFPO) handle, which allowed for late-stage functionalization of central intermediates.