Abstract A concise route to nucleoside β-hydroxyphosphonate analogues is described. The use of a nucleoside β-ketophosphonate as the key intermediate allowed both the (R) and (S) isomers of β-hydroxyphosphonate analogues in the pyrimidine series to be accessed. Such derivatives may be considered as stable mimics of 5′-monophosphate nucleosides and, therefore, could be the starting point for the development of potential therapeutic agents.
