6-Lactam formation 3-Lactams

Carbanions stabilized by phosphorus and acyl substituents have also been frequently used in sophisticated cyclization reactions under mild reaction conditions. Perhaps the most spectacular case is the formation of an ylide from the >S-lactam given below using polymeric Hflnig base (diisopropylaminomethylated polystyrene) for removal of protons. The phosphorus ylide in hot toluene then underwent an intramolecular Wlttig reaction with an acetyl-thio group to yield the extremely acid-sensitive penicillin analogue (a penem I. Ernest, 1979). 

If a bromomethyl- or vinyl-substituted cyclopropane carbon atom bears a hydroxy group, the homoallyiic rearrangement leads preferentially to cyclobutanone derivatives (J. Sa-laun, 1974). Addition of amines to cydopropanone (N. J. Turro, 1966) yields S-lactams after successive treatment with tert-butyl hypochlorite and silver(I) salts (H.H. Wasserman, 1975). For intramolecular cyclopropane formation see section 1.16. 

First the protected oligopeptide is coupled with polymer-bound nitrophenol by DCC. N"-Deblocking leads then to simultaneous cycliiation and detachment of the product from the polymer (M. Fridkin, 1965). Recent work indicates that high dilution in liquid-phase cycli-zation is only necessary, if the cyclization reaction is sterically hindered. Working at low temperatures and moderate dilution with moderately activated acid derivatives is the method of choice for the formation of macrocyclic lactams (R.F. Nutt, 1980). 

The "zip-reaction (U. Kramer, 1978, 1979) leads to giant macrocycles. Potassium 3- ami-nopropyl)amide = KAPA ( superbase ) in 1,3-diaminopropane is used to deprotonate amines. The amide anions are highly nucleophilic and may, for example, be used to transam-idate carboxylic amides. If N- 39-atnino-4,8,12,16,20,24,28,32,36-nonaazanonatriacontyl)do-decanolactam is treated with KAPA, the amino groups may be deprotonated and react with the macrocyclic lactam. The most probable reaction is the intramolecular formation of the six-membered ring intermediate indicated below. This intermediate opens spontaneously to produce the azalactam with seventeen atoms in the cycle. This reaction is repeated nine times in the presence of excess KAPA, and the 53-membered macrocycle is formed in reasonable yield. 

In his cephalosporin synthesis methyl levulinate was condensed with cysteine in acidic medium to give a bicyclic thiazolidine. One may rationalize the regioselective formation of this bicycle with the assumption that in the acidic reaction mixture the tMoI group is the only nucleophile present, which can add to the ketone. Intramolecular amide formation from the methyl ester and acid-catalyzed dehydration would then lead to the thiazolidine and y-lactam rings. The stereochemistry at the carboxylic acid a-... 

Allylic phosphates are used for carbonylation in the presence of amines under pressure. Carbonylation of diethyl neryl phosphate (389) affords ethyl homonerate (390), maintaining the geometric integrity of the double bond[244]. The carbonylation of allyl phosphate in the presence of the imine 392 affords the /3-lactam 393. The reaction may be explained by the formation of the ketene 391 from the acyl phosphate, and its stereoselective (2 + 2] cycloaddition to the imine 392 to give the /3-lactam 393(247],... 

L-Glutamic acid does not racemize in neutral solution, even at 100°C. Deviation of pH from neutral to greater than 8.5 results in thermal racemization with loss of taste characteristics. Racemization in neutral solution occurs at 190 °C after formation of the lactam, 5-oxo-L-proline, pyroglutamic acid [98-79-3]. 

In the 2-aryloxaziridines, acid amide formation proceeds under mild conditions and is the most often observed stabilization reaction of these very unstable compounds. Heating at 75 °C for 30-45 min is sufficient to convert N-arylspirooxaziridines (64 R = Ar) to the isomeric lactams (65) in 75-90% yield. 

There are several examples of intramolecular reactions of monocyclic /3-lactams with carbenes or carbenoids most of these involve formation of olivanic acid or clavulanic acid derivatives. Thus treatment of the diazo compound (106) with rhodium(II) acetate in benzene under reflux gives (107), an intermediate in the synthesis of thienamycin (80H(14)1305, 80TL2783). 

Azetidin-2-one formation by N—C(4) ring closure has also been observed in the irradiation of cfs-a-phenylcinnamides (143) in degassed benzene. Both cis and trans lactams are formed (68JA2333). 

There appear to be few examples of the formation of azetidin-2-ones by closure of the C(2) —C(3) bond. One reaction which fits into this category involves reaction of the iron carbonyl lactone complexes (144) with an amine to give the allyl complexes (145) which on oxidation are converted in high yield to 3-vinyl-/3-lactams (146) (80CC297). 

A final method of /3-lactam 3,4-bond formation which has found fairly wide application is based on carbenlc insertion (78T1731 p. 1739). The carbenic centre can be generated by photolysis of a diazo compound as in the case of (158) (72JA1629, 79CC846) or from organometalllc precursors, for example (159) (71ACS1927). 

Formation of the /3-lactam (161) by reaction of the dianion (160) with methylene diiodide provides an example of a [3 + 1] type of ring closure (79TL2031). The insertion of carbon... 

Two extreme mechanisms can be envisaged (Scheme 12), concerted [2 + 2] cycloaddition or the more generally accepted formation of a dipolar intermediate (164) which closes to a /3-lactam or which can interact with a second molecule of ketene to give 2 1 adducts (165) and (166) which are sometimes found as side products. In some cases 2 1 adducts result from reaction of the imine with ketene dimer. 

The interaction of acid chlorides (167 X = Cl) with imines in the presence of bases such as triethylamine may involve prior formation of a ketene followed by cycloaddition to the imine, but in many cases it is considered to involve interaction of the imine with the acid chloride to give an immonium ion (168). This is then cyclized by deprotonation under the influence of the base. Clearly, the distinction between these routes is a rather fine one and the mechanism involved in a particular case may well depend on the reactants and the timing of mixing. Particularly important acid chlorides are azidoacetyl chloride and phthalimidoacetyl chloride, which provide access to /3-lactams with a nitrogen substituent in the 3-position as found in the penicillins and cephalosporins. 

Early attempts to apply the Sheehan penicillin synthetic strategy to the total synthesis of cephalosporins were not particularly successful. Although the key step, formation of the /3-lactam CO—N bond, could be carried out efficiently (46->47), subsequent conversion of the lactone to a free C-4 carboxyl could only be accomplished in poor yield (B-72MI51007). 

Although most /3- lactam antibiotics bind covalently to some or all of the same six proteins, there are decided differences among them in terms of their relative affinities. For example, cefoxitin (see Table 1 for structures) fails to bind to protein 2 while cephacetrile binds very slowly to proteins 5 and 6. Cephaloridine binds most avidly to protein 1, the transpeptidase, and inhibits cell elongation and causes lysis at its minimum inhibitory concentration. On the other hand, cephalexin binds preferentially to protein 3 and causes inhibition of cell division and filament formation (75PNA2999, 77MI51002). 

By virtue of their fused /3-lactam-thiazolidine ring structure, the penicillins behave as acylating agents of a reactivity comparable to carboxylic acid anhydrides (see Section 5.11.2.1). This reactivity is responsible for many of the properties of the penicillins, e.g. difficult isolation due to hydrolytic instability (B-49MI51102), antibacterial activity due to irreversible transpeptidase inhibition (Section 5.11.5.1), and antigen formation via reaction with protein molecules. 

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