Abstract
Staudinger cycloaddition of dicarboethoxy-substituted imines with phenylthioacetyl chloride in the presence of N-methylmorpholine under microwave irradiation is investigated toward the synthesis of C-4 dicarboethoxy-substituted beta-lactams. One of the ester groups of the products is removed through a decarboethoxylation process by lithium chloride in DMSO under microwave irradiation. This procedure results in the formation of highly functionalized diastereomeric cis and trans beta-lecterns.