In memory of an exquisite medicinal chemist, Prof. Morris Robins.

AbstractAmong the most prominent realizations of Morris J. Robins in the antiviral nucleoside chemistry are <italic>(i)</italic> the synthesis of 8-substituted (methyl-, amino-, bromo-, iodo) derivatives of acyclovir, <italic>(ii)</italic> xylotubercidin as an inhibitor of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections, <italic>(iii)</italic> the anti-HIV activity of the 2’,3’-dideoxyriboside of 2,6-diaminopurine (ddDAPR) and the 3’-azido- and 3’-fluoro derivatives thereof (AzddDAPR and FddDAPR, respectively), <italic>(iv)</italic> the potentiating effect of ribavirin on the anti-HIV activity of 2’,3’-dideoxyinosine (ddI) and ddDAPR, <italic>(v)</italic> S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAH) inhibitors principally active against vaccinia virus (VV) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), and <italic>(vi)</italic> furo[2,3-d]pyrimidinone derivatives active against varicella-zoster virus (VZV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]