Hydrogen Bromide → 7alpha-Bromo-3-methyl-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

To an ice-cooled mixture of 7-ADCA (10.0 g, 0.4667 mol), ethanol (270 ml), water (83 ml) and hydrobromic acid (48%, 56.7 ml), sodium nitrite (4.67 g, 0.6769 mol) was added in small portions over 25 minutes and the mixture was stirred for 2.5 hours at ice-temperature. Ethanol was removed under reduced pressure and the residual mass was diluted with methylene chloride, washed with water. The aqueous washings were saturated with brine and re-extracted with methylene chloride. The combined organic layer was washed with brine, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give 9.8 g (75.5%) of 7α-bromo-3-methyl -3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid. This crude acid was directly used for the next step without further purification.

Provenance & Evidence