5'-Azido-5'-deoxythymidine

5′-Azido-5′-deoxythymidine is a modified nucleoside analogue used as a synthetic intermediate in antiviral and nucleic acid chemistry.¹ ² ³ It is derived from thymidine by substitution at the 5′-position and serves as a versatile precursor for functionalized nucleosides. Its development was inspired by studies on related azido nucleosides such as AZT.¹

 

Applications

 

5′-Azido-5′-deoxythymidine is widely used in medicinal chemistry and DNA engineering.¹ ² ³ It has been explored as a scaffold for antiviral analogues, particularly against herpes simplex virus.¹ In chemical biology, it enables “click DNA” synthesis via azide–alkyne cycloaddition, forming triazole-linked oligonucleotides that are compatible with polymerases and functional in living cells.² It also serves as a precursor for amino-modified nucleosides and phosphoramidate derivatives used in oligonucleotide functionalization.³