Nucleoside modification with boron clusters and their metal complexes.

General methods for the synthesis of nucleosides modified with borane clusters and metallacarborane complexes are presented. These include: (1) the click chemistry approach based on Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and (2) tethering of the metallacarborane group to the aglycone of a nucleoside via a dioxane ring opening in oxonium metallacarborane derivatives. The proposed methodologies broaden the availability of nucleoside-borane cluster conjugates and open up new areas for their applications.