Chelation studies of monocyclic beta-lactams and synthesis of 1,2,3 vicinal tricarbonyl compounds

Bacterial resistance toward antibiotics has been a global problem. It has greatly reduced the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents. With the continuous emergence of bacterial resistance, there is a constant need for new antibiotics. The first part of this report explains the design and synthesis of C-4 dimethylthio and C-4 dimethylsulfone monocyclic beta-lactams. The ability of these compounds to chelate various ions is also investigated, as their chelating ability might indeed enhance the activity of these compounds. The second part of this manuscript describes the synthesis of 1,2,3 vicinal tricarbonyl compounds having the terminal carbonyl as masked functionality. It is speculated that these compounds might act as inhibitors of beta-lactamases and other serine-containing enzymes. The purified final compounds are characterized using 1H NMR and 13C NMR and further studies will be performed to determine their biological activity.