Altered nucleosides bearing acyclic variations in the sugar moiety were synthesized either from natural nucleosides 5 (ie 2, 3-seco nucleosides) or by reaction between the appropriate pseudo-sugar moiety and the purine or pyrimidine ring. To date, these latter procedures applied to the synthesis of acyclic nucleosides of the general formula R-0-CH2-B (B= N-9 purinyl or Nl pyrimidinyl) started from halomethyl ethers R-0-CH2X (X= Br, Cl) which were ...