Phosphonoformate Esters of Anti-HIV Nucleosides: 3′-Azido-3′-deoxythymidine and 2′,3′-Dideoxycytidine Derivatives Containing a Small 5′-(0-Alkoxycarbon-ylphosphinyl) or 5′-(O-Cholesterylcarbonylphosphinyl) Substituent

Abstract

A convenient general method of synthesis of 5′-O-(alkoxycarbonyl)phosphonate esters of 2′,3′-dideoxyribonucleosides is presented, using the 5′-O-(methoxycarbonyl)phosphinyl, 5′-0-(ethoxycarbonyl)phosphinyl, and 5′-O-(cholesterylcarbonyl)phosphinyl derivatives of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) and the 5′-0-(ethoxycarbonyl)phosphinyl derivative of 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine (ddC) as examples. Reaction of trimethyl phosphonoformate, methyl phosphonoformate, or dimethyl cholesterylcarbonylphosphonate with phosphorus pentachloride in carbon tetrachloride, followed by direct condensation of the resulting phosphonyl chloride with the nucleoside, gave the fully esterified phosphonoformate derivatives, which on treatment with sodium iodide in tetrahydrofuran underwent selective cleavage of the P-OMe or P-OEt groups, leaving the carboxylate esters intact. The resulting products were converted from sodium salts to ammonium salts by ion-exchange chromatography.