On treatment with trimethylsilyl azide in the presence of boron triflu
oride etherate, anomeric orthoesters undergo the exchange of one anome
ric alkoxy group by an azido group to yield two epimeric mono azido de
rivatives (approximately 85% total yield). It was observed that both l
ateral N-15 nuclei in axially oriented azido groups are shielded as co
mpared to their equatorial counterparts.