thieno [3, 2-d] pyrimidine-2, 4 (1H, 3H)-dione that serves as a core heterocycle. This
condensed pyrimidine is converted into an emissive pyrimidine nucleoside analogue by N-
glycosylation and into an emissive purine nucleoside analogue by C-glycosidation at the
thiophene's beta position. The design principles of this archetypical system are outlined
together with the syntheses and photophysical properties of the resulting nucleosides.