Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Purine Ribonucleotides and Their Evaluation as (19)F NMR Probes

[Image: see text] Protected guanosine and adenosine ribonucleosides and guanine nucleotides are readily functionalized with CF(3) substituents within the nucleobase. Protected guanosine is trifluoromethylated at the C8 position under radical-generating conditions in up to 95% yield and guanosine 5′-oligophosphates in up to 35% yield. In the case of adenosine, the selectivity of trifluoromethylation depends heavily on the functional group protection strategy and leads to a set of CF(3)-modified nucleosides with different substitution patterns (C8, C2, or both) in up to 37% yield. Further transformations based on phosphorimidazolide chemistry afford various CF(3)-substituted mono- and dinucleoside oligophosphates in good yields. The utility of the trifluoromethylated nucleotides as probes for (19)F NMR-based real-time enzymatic reaction monitoring is demonstrated with three different human nucleotide hydrolases (Fhit, DcpS, and cNIIIB). Substrate and product(s) resonances were sufficiently separated to enable effective tracking of each enzymatic activity of interest.