Racemic Synthesis of Novel 6'-Methylene-5'-norcarbocyclic Purine Phosphonic Acid Analogues via Mitsunobu Reaction

Novel 5'-norcarbocyclic adenine and guanine phosphonic acid analogues with 6'-electronegative moiety such as unsaturated C-C bond were designed and synthesized from commercially available 2-methylene-propane-1,3-diol (4). Regioselective Mitsunobu reaction successfully proceeded from an allylic functional group (${\pm}$)-12b at low reaction temperature in polar cosolvent (DMF/1,4-dioxane) to give purine phosphonate analogues (${\pm}$)-13 and (${\pm}$)-20. The purine nucleoside phosphonate and phosphonic acid analogues were subjected to antiviral screening against HIV-1. Guanine analogue (${\pm}$)-23 shows significant anti-HIV activity in PBM cell lines ($EC_{50}=8.1\;{\mu}M$).