By starting with 3'-keto-5'-O-protected thymidine, 3'-O-amino-5'-t-butyl-di
phenylsilyl thymidine (9) was prepared and coupled with 3'-O-t-butyl-diphen
yisilyl-5'-formyl thymidine to form a nucleoside dimer (11) containing oxim
e linkage. The backbone of this dimer, then, underwent reduction followed b
y acetylation to give an (N-acetyl)imino linkage, and a novel dinucleotide
(13) was obtained.