Nikken Chemicals Co., Ltd.

Tatsuo Tomioka

Kenichi Suzuki

Yasuo Hoshide

Hirosi Ogawa

A process for producing a desacetoxy cephalosporanic acid represented by formula (III), ##SPC1## wherein R.sub.1 is acyl, and R.sub.2 is alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl, which comprises: heating a penicillin sulfoxide of the formula (I), ##SPC2## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same as hereinbefore defined at 50.degree. to 160.degree.C in an inert organic solvent in the presence of a sulfonate represented by formula (II), ##EQU1## wherein A is R.sub.5 --N--R.sub.6, R.sub.5 --N--O--R.sub.6, S--R.sub.6, R.sub.5 --S.fwdarw.O, and R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are lower alkyl, phenyl, benzyl or phenethyl, R.sub.7 is 1-12C alkyl, phenyl, 1-12C alkyl-substituted-phenyl, naphthyl, 1-12C alkyl-substituted naphthyl, halogen-substituted phenyl and wherein when A is R.sub.5 --N--R.sub.6 or R.sub.5 --N--O--R.sub.6, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 may form a heterocyclic ring together with the nitrogen atom, and when A is S--R.sub.6, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 may form a heterocyclic 4-5C polymethylene ring or R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 may bond to form a polymethylene link.

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Tokyo, Japan

Tatsuo Tomioka