We report herein the synthesis of beta -2-benzimidazolyl- and beta -2-indol
yl-C-nucleosides and their alpha -anomers in a stereoselective way. The ste
reocontrol was observed either in the reduction step (hemiacetal to diol) o
f the protected heterocycles (1b-d), or in the intramolecular Mitsunobu cyc
lisation of the free heterocyclic diols obtained from the hemiacetals la an
d le. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.