Hallo,
I have had a nice discussion with DAN and I have been able to do the cyclization reaction using thiourea.
Now, I go a further step in practicing the synthesis of cefotaxime (a laboratory task at university).
I followed the procedure in Synthesis, 1992, 11, 1160-1164 which was extracted from the paper and attached here (File name: MAEM+7-ACA procedure). As I can see that the approach proceeds through 2 steps.
1. Protecting MAEM with trityl chloride.
2. Acylating 7-ACA by the protected MAEM.
The product does not look the one described at the end of the reported procedure.
I got a mixture containing a component having a similar Rf to that of 2-mercaptobenzothiazol released as the result of the substitution reaction of MAEM with any nucleophile (please have a look through the file MAEM+7-ACA TLC).
I have conducted a separation with an aid of column chromatography and I could get that component as a pure crystalline solid having a m.p. of 177-179oC which is also in the range for that of 2-mercaptobenzothiazol (176-178oC).
Nevertheless, this compound does not appear to be 2-mercaptobenzothiazol. The IR does not fit and the molecular weigh revealed from the MS fits the formula of 2-mercaptobenzothiazol neither (see the files MAEM+7-ACA IR and MAEM+7-ACA MS)
I still have no ideas what compound this solid should be responsible for. Could any one help with some suggestions?
Thank you very much in advance.
CPC