Ab initio Study of β-lactam antibiotics

Ab initio SCF-MO-LCAO calculations have been performed with a 7s3p/3s GTO basis set for the CH₃O--lactam + OH^– reaction which is related to the mode of action of -lactam antibiotics. The comparison of the present results with the previous ones for -lactam + OH^– and 3-cephem + OH^– shows that the CH₃O substitution has a negligible effect on the amidic bond breaking of -lactam, so that this group probably influences other steps of the antibiotic reactivity of cephaloporins.