Rise of β-furanosyl ribonucleosides as the extant RNA component facilitated by simple divalent transition-metal minerals

The selective nucleoside synthesis through direct condensation between nucleobase and unactivated sugar in aqueous media has long been a formidable obstacle for the early chemical transformations hypothesized to construct the RNA World, due to product complexity and the low selectivity of the desired isomer. The preference of β-furanoside, the extant RNA component, has never been documented. Here we report an aqueous ribosylation mediated by divalent transition-metal ions, which unprecedentedly enhances the selectivity of furanosyl ribonucleosides as opposed to the traditionally predominating pyranosyl ones, with the furanoside/pyranoside ratio reaching up to 9/1. Furthermore, β-furanoside stands out for the first time as the most prevalent isomer in the presence of zinc and ammonium salts. The mechanism of this selectivity is elucidated with density functional theory calculations. The selectivity for β-furanoside can be further elevated via the adsorption on a zinc mineral. These findings exhibit as the first example that the selection of nucleosides with the desired, canonical configuration might be completed in the early stage of the RNA-forming process as opposed to later evolution, promoted by simple and widespread transition-metal minerals. The study may also find its value in synthetic chemistry as a guideline for developing a sustainable and selective glycosylation process.