Sodium Methoxide → 1-[2,5,6-Trichloro-1-(4-hydroxy-5-hydroxymethyl-tetrahydro-furan-2-yl)-1H-indol-3-yl]-ethanone

2,5,6-Trichloro-3-acetyl-1-[3,5-di-O-(p-toluoyl)-2-deoxy-β-D-ribofuranosyl]indole (4.116, 0.62 g, 1.0 mmol) was suspended in dry MeOH (50 mL) to which was added sodium methoxide (220 mg, 4.1 mmol). The suspension was stirred at room temperature for 16 h, after which time the solution first clarified and a precipitate then formed. The suspension was allowed to stand at 4° C. for 4 h, and was then filtered, and the solids rinsed with cold MeOH (10 mL). The solid was recrystallized from warm MeOH to yield 0.28 g (74%) of 4.117 as a white crystalline solid: mp dec. >200 C; Rf 0.4 (10% MeOH/CHCl3); 1H-NMR (500 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ 8.52 (s, 1H), 8.37 (s, 1H), 6.49 (dd, 1H), 5.43 (s, 1H, D2O exch.), 5.26 (s, 1H, D2O exch.), 4.45 (m, 1H), 3.89 (d, 1H), 3.72 (m, 2H), 2.60 (s, 3H), 2.49 (m, 1H), 2.13 (m, 1H). 13C-NMR (125 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ 192.13, 132.15, 131.99, 126.12, 125.50, 125.65, 121.96, 115.25, 112.85, 87.55, 85.43, 69.81, 60.67, 47.10, 30.68. HRMS (EI) m/z calcd. for C15H14Cl3NO4 376.9988, found 376.9982. Anal calcd for C15H14Cl3NO4: C, 47.58; H, 3.73; N, 3.70. Found: C, 47.52; H, 3.95; N, 3.59.