This unit describes preparation of N6 -substituted adenosines (cytokinin nucleosides), a unique class of compounds with a wide spectrum of biological activities. Regioselective alkylation of N6 -acetyl-2',3',5'-tri-O-acetyladenosine with alkyl halides under basic conditions or alcohols under Mitsunobu conditions followed by deprotection are the methods of choice for the preparation of the cytokinin nucleosides. The attractive feature of this strategy is the possibility of using a broad library of commercially available alkyl halides and alcohols under mild reaction conditions. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.