A series of 2-X-substituted-6-phenyl-9-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)purines (X = Cl, Br, I, CH₃, CF₃ and Ph) was prepared by halo-deaminations of protected 2-amino-6-phenylpurine ribonucleoside, by regioselective Suzuki-Miyaura reactions of 2,6-dihalopurines with phenylboronic acid or by cross-coupling reactions of the corresponding 2-halo-6-phenylpurines followed by deprotection. None of the title nucleosides exhibited any considerable cytostatic activity.