Breakthrough in β-lactam synthesis using nickel catalysts

Researchers at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) have developed a novel synthetic method using earth-abundant nickel catalysts to access chiral β-lactams in high enantioselectivity. Credit: Institute for Basic Science

Led by Director Chang Sukbok, scientists from the Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalizations within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) have made a significant advancement in the synthesis of β-lactam scaffolds, which are structural components frequently found in essential antibiotics such as penicillins and carbapenems. This breakthrough overcomes challenges in β-lactam synthesis to promise streamlined pathways for drug development.

The core that makes up penicillins is a four-membered cyclic amide scaffold called chiral β-lactam, which is also frequently found in other types of major antibiotics like carbapenems and cephalosporins. The high-value potential of chiral β-lactam has been recognized in given such relevance to the , leading to many efforts to synthesize them using readily available raw chemicals.

Back in 2019, the IBS group unveiled a that allowed access to chiral γ-lactams, five-membered amide structures that differ in the ring size from β-lactams. They managed to

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