O-2-isocephem-4-carboxylic acid derivatives as antibacterial agents

Abstract

There is described the stereoselective total synthesis of novel .DELTA..sup.2,3 -1,4-morpholine-2-carboxylic acids possessing a fused .beta.-lactam ring in the 1,6-position and carrying a substituent cis to carbon 5 in the 7-position of the fused ring system represented by the general formula ##STR1## wherein X is amino, azido or acylamido and Z represents optionally substituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl, aryl, aralkyl or heterocyclic. Also included in the invention are compounds of formula I in which the carboxyl group at the 2-position is protected as by an easily cleavable ester group and salts of both the free acids and carboxyl-protected compounds of formula I. The compounds of formula I are potent antibacterial agents or are of use as intermediates in the preparation of such antibacterial agents.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.