PROCESS FOR PREPARING PENICILLIN AND CEPHALOSPORIN SULFONES

摘要

There is disclosed a process for preparing a penicillin or cephalosporin sulfone of the formula

wherein:
R<1> is hydrogen or a carboxylic acid acyl residue;
R<2> is hydrogen or lower alkoxy;
R<3> is hydrogen, a carboxy protecting group or a salt forming group;
A is

in which:
R<4> is halo, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, or -CH2R<6>, wherein R<6> is lower alkanoyloxy or a heterocyclic group; and
R<5> is hydrogen or alkoxycarbonyloxy; comprising reacting a compound of the formula

with an oxidizing agent and a catalytic amount of ruthenium tetroxide.