Upon treatment with LTMP, 5'-O-protected D4T undergoes deprotonation of the vinylic proton (H-3' or H-2'): when 5'-O-silyl derivative was used, the 3'-C-silylated product was formed as a result of C3'-lithiation and subsequent O-->C silyl migration, while deprotonation at the 2'-position led to the formation of an allene derivative. A stannyl version of this reaction was also examined to develop a method for C3'-functionalization of D4T.