Cephalosporin compounds

Compounds of the formula:

• ##STR37## and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and esters thereof;
• wherein R.sub.4 is an acyl group selected from the group consisting of:
• phenacetyl,
• 3-bromophenylacetyl,
• p-aminomethylphenylacetyl,
• 4-carboxylmethylphenylacetyl,
• 4-carboxamidomethylphenylacetyl,
• 2furylacetyl,
• 5-nitrofurylacetyl,
• 3-furylacetyl,
• 2-thienylacetyl,
• 5-chlorothienylacetyl,
• 5-methoxythienylacetyl,
• .alpha.-guanidino-2-thienylacetyl,
• 3-thienylacetyl,
• 4-methylthienylacetyl,
• 3-isothiazolylacetyl,
• 4-methoxyisothiazolylacetyl,
• 4-isothiazolylacetyl,
• 3-methylisothiazolylacetyl,
• 5-isothiazolylacetyl,
• 3-chloroisothiazolylacetyl,
• 3-methyl-1,2,5-oxadiazolylacetyl,
• 1,2,5-thiadiazolyl-4-acetyl,
• 3-methyl-1,2,5-thiadiazolyl-4-acetyl, p1 3-chloro-1,2,5-thiadiazolyl-4-acetyl,
• 3-methoxy-1,2,5-thiadiazolyl-4-acetyl,
• phenylthioacetyl,
• 4-pyridylthioacetyl,
• cyanoacetyl,
• tetrazolylacetyl,
• .alpha.-fluorophenylacetyl,
• D-phenylglycyl,
• 4-hydroxy-D-phenylglycyl,
• 2-thienylglycyl,
• 3-thienylglycyl,
• phenylmalonyl,
• 3-chlorophenylmalonyl,
• 2-thienylmalonyl,
• 3-thienylmalonyl,
• .alpha.-phosphonophenylacetyl,
• .alpha.-sulfaminophenylacetyl,
• .alpha.-hydroxyphenylacetyl,
• .alpha.-tetrazolylphenylacetyl, and
• .alpha.-sulfophenylacetyl;
• B is hydrogen or methoxy
• wherein when B is methoxy:
• R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 may be the same or different and are each selected from the following:
• (a) hydrogen;
• (b) substituted and unsubstituted:
• lower alkyl of 1-6 carbon atoms;
• wherein the substituents are selected from halo, hydroxyl, NH.sub.2, and NO.sub.2 ;
• and wherein when B is hydrogen:
• R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 may be the same or different and are each selected from the following:
• (a) hydrogen with the proviso that both R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 may not be hydrogen;
• (b) alkanoyloxyalkyl wherein the alkanoyl moiety has 1-6 carbon atoms and the alkyl portion has 1-6 carbon atoms.