Abstract:
The cephene-4-carboxylic acid deriv. of formula (I) is prepd. by reacting an aldehyde cpd. of formula (II) with a phosphonium salt of formula (III) in the presence of a base and a solvent at 0-30 deg.C. In the formulas, R1 is methyl, ethyl, propyl, phenyl or benzyl; R2 is p-methoxy benzyl, diphenyl methyl or allyl; R3 is H, t- butoxy carbonyl or phenyl acetyl; R4 is H, t-butoxy carbonyl, formyl or phenyl acetyl. The solvent is pref. water, dichloromethane, ethylether and/or tetrahydrofurane. The deriv. of (I) is useful for antibiotics.