Determination of the anomeric configuration of 2′‐deoxy‐D‐ribonucleosides by 1 H NMR and by crystallographic studies of a novel 2′‐deoxy C ‐nucleoside

2′‐Deoxy‐D‐ribonucleoside analogs of biologically active 2‐β‐D‐ribofuranosylthiazole‐4‐carboxamide were synthesized and the structure of the β anomer was determined by X‐ray crystallography and ′ 1 H nmr. 2′‐Methylene protons of α‐ and β‐deoxyribonucleosides were observed to exhibit characteristic patterns in the 1 H nmr which was used to distinguish between the two anomers. The method could be used to determine the anomeric configuration of both N‐ and C ‐2′‐deoxyribonucleosides.