10.1246/bcsj.20100212
The research focuses on the synthesis of structurally diverse 2-azetidinones, which are key structural elements in the family of β-lactam antibiotics and possess significant biological activities. The study aims to develop a new method for the synthesis of β-lactams via ketene-imine cycloaddition using polymer-supported ketene on a solid support, specifically Merrifield resin. The researchers successfully synthesized a variety of β-lactam derivatives with different substituents at positions 1 and 4, which could serve as potential intermediates for the synthesis of active compounds. The process involved the use of trimellitic anhydride, phthaloylglycine, imines, Vilsmeier reagent, triethylamine, trifluoroacetic acid, methylhydrazine, and other reagents. The conclusions of the research highlight the selective cleavage of supported β-lactams by trifluoroacetic acid and methylhydrazine to obtain 4-carboxyphthalimido- and 3-amino-β-lactams, respectively. The method offers simplified purification through filtration, avoiding time-consuming separation techniques, and the ability to regenerate the starting polymer-supported phthaloylglycine, making it a valuable contribution to solid-phase polymer-supported synthesis.