2-(6-Chloropurinyl)-3-benzoyloxymethylcyclobutanone can be prepared by reaction of 6-chloropurine with 3-benzoyloxymethyl-2-bromocyclobutanone. The N-alkylation gave both N-9 and N-7 regioisomers. Both regioisomers upon hydride reduction followed by aminolysis gave the corresponding adenine nucleoside analogues. However, the N-7 series led to the hypoxanthine analogues as byproducts.

The preparation of two nucleoside analogues are reported. Both syntheses involve a key photochemical ring-expansion of cyclobutanones to an oxacarbene and its subsequent scavenging by 6-chloropurine. The synthesis of a bicyclic (locked) purine starts from a oxabicycloheptanone with a hydroxymethyl pendant. The preparation of an isonucleoside uses a cyclobutanone with an α-substituted 6-chloropurine. Irradiation of the latter produces an isonucleoside and acyclic nucleoside analogues.

A synthesis of cyclobutene nucleoside analogs in which the nucleobase is tethered by a methylene group is described. The coupling of 6-chloropurine with 3-hydroxymethyl-cyclobutanone proceeds via its triflate to give both N-7 and N-9 regioisomers with relative yields corresponding to the calculated charge distribution of the 6-chloropurinyl anion. The stereoselective reduction of the N-alkylated ketones yielded quantitatively one stereoisomer in each case. The structural assignments were based on spectroscopic data and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Attempts to photoexcite the N-7 and N-9 ketones in order to promote ring-expansion did not ensue. Preliminary evidence suggests a photodecarbonylation to cyclopropanes took place.

1-(2-Oxocyclobutyl-4-benzoyloxymethyl)-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinedione and 1-(2-oxocyclobutyl-4-benzoyloxymethyl)-5-methyl-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinedione can be prepared by reaction of uracil and thymine, respectively, with 3-benzoyloxymethyl-2-bromocyclobutanone. The N-alkylation gave both cis and trans isomers with the trans isomer predominating for uracil whereas the trans isomer was the only product which could be isolated for thymine. Both series were subjected to borohydride reduction followed by transesterification with methoxide giving the corresponding uracil and thymine nucleoside analogues. The uracil derivative 1-(2-oxocyclobutyl-4-benzoyloxymethyl)-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinedione was irradiated in aqueous acetonitrile to generate isonucleoside analogues.

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