Abstract: The present invention relates to efficient processes useful in the preparation of fluorinated nucleosides, such as (2S,3R,4S,5R)-5-(2-amino-6-oxo-1,6-dihydro-9H-purin-9-yl)-3-fluoro-4-hydroxy-2-(mercaptomethyl)tetrahydrofuran-3-yl dihydrogen phosphate, also known as 3?-fluoro-thio-guanosine monophosphate or 3?-F-thio-GMP. Such fluorinated nucleosides may be useful as a biologically active compound and or as an intermediate for the synthesis of more complex biologically active compounds. The present invention also encompasses intermediates useful in the disclosed synthetic processes and the methods of their preparation.