A rapid and divergent access to chiral azacyclic nucleoside analogues via highly enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of β-nucleobase substituted acrylates

A rapid and divergent access to chiral azacyclic nucleoside analogues has been established via highly exo-selective and enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with β-nucleobase substituted acrylates. Using 1 mol% of a chiral copper complex, various chiral azacyclic nucleoside analogues were obtained in high yields, excellent exo-selectivities and enantioselectivities (98 to >99% ee).