The coupling reaction of the sodium salt of adenine, which could be easily prepared by deprotonation with sodium hydroxide or sodium methoxide, with 1-α-chloro-2-deoxyribose derivative proceeded in a good stereospecific manner in acetone as a solvent to give the β-anomer of the corresponding acylated adenosine.
2′-deoxy-β-adenosine can be easily obtained industrially without using expensive or dangerous materials by the process of the present invention, which comprises the steps of: allowing an adenine salt to condense with a hydroxyl protected derivative of pentofuranose to produce a hydroxyl protected derivative of adenine, and then eliminating the protecting groups.