Structure of Cyclic Nucleoside Phosphonate Ester Prodrugs: An Inquiry

The configuration at phosphorus in cyclic (S)-HPMPC (1, cidofovir) and (S)-HPMPA (2) phenyl ester (5 and 6, respectively) diastereomers ((Rp)-5, (Rp)-6, (Sp)-6) was determined by X-ray crystallography and correlated to their 1H and 31P NMR spectra in solution. (Rp)-5 and (Rp)-6 have chair conformations with the nucleobase substituent equatorial and the P-OPh axial. Perhaps surprisingly, (Sp)-6 is (a, a) in the crystal and exists largely as an equilibrium of (a, a)/(e, e) conformers in chloroform or acetonitrile.