Reactions of natural and synthetic B-lactams

Abstract

B(-Lactams as a class of compounds have acquired importance since the discovery of penicillin, and interest in this class of hetero-cycles continues unabated because of some new B(-lactam antibiotics. Recently, reactions of B(-lactams have attracted attention, and suitably substituted B(-lactams have been converted into different types of compounds which are otherwise difficult to synthesise. This review is an assessment of the scope of B(-lactams as intermediates in synthetic organic chemistry. The various reactions of B(-lactams are discussed under the following headings. 1. Cleavage of the 1,2-Bond in Penicillins and Cephalosporins 2. Cleavage of the 3,4-Bond in Penicillins 3. Formation of 1-Unsubstituted Azctidin-2-ones 4.,V-Substitulion 5. Conversion of B(-Lactams into B(-Thiolactams 6. Reactions at the Carbon Atom a to the B(-Lactam Carbonyi Group 7. Reactions at the C-4 Atom in Azetidin-2-ones 8. Cleavage of the Lactam Bond in Monocyclic and Bicyelic B(-Lactams 9. Cleavage of the 2,3-Bond in Azetidin-2-ones 10. Cleavage of 3,4- and 5.6-Bonds respectively in Azetidin-2-ones and Penicillins 11. Cleavage of the 1.4-Bond in Azetidin-2-ones 12. Miscellaneous Reactions © 1975 Georg Thieme Verlag. All rights reserved.