SYNTHESIS OF 2'-SUBSTITUTED SULFIDE-LINKED DINUCLEOTIDES

3'-Deoxy-3'-(2-mesyloxyethyl)ribofuranosylthymine derivative 3, and it s 2'-methoxy (16) and 2'-deoxy (38) analogs were condensed with 5'-deo xy-5'-thiothymidine 4 and 17 or 2'-O-methyl-5'-deoxy-5'-thiouridine 34 and 37 to provide, after standard functional group transformations, t hymidine-thymidine and uridine-thymidine dimers 9, 21, 43 and 47. Oxid ation of model sulfide dimer 48 with oxone gave sulfone 49. It was not stable to 27% ammonia.