Abstract
Bimal Krishna Banik has discovered a new reaction (Banik's Cycloaddition Reaction) of polyaromatic Schiff base with an acid chloride in the presence of an organic tertiary base to afford novel beta-lactams. This cycloaddition reaction is highly diastereoselective. The most probable mechanism of this reaction is advanced. Some of the resulting beta-lactams have demonstrated selective anticancer activities against several human cancer cell lines.