RGFP published a paper on Catalysis Science and Technology

Penems as the latest generation β- Lactam antibiotics are known as "the last barrier for humans to resist bacterial infections.". Meropenem is widely used in clinical practice as the most important type of penem drug. In the chemical synthesis step of meropenem, it is necessary to use noble metal Pd/AC catalysts for hydrogenation to remove protective groups. However, the poisoning of the Pd/AC catalyst by residual mercaptans from the substrate in the one-pot process results in low target product yields, poor solid-liquid separation efficiency, and high palladium content in the catalyst. In this paper, by using N/S co-doping process modified activated carbon as support, sulfur resistant 4% Pd/AC catalyst suitable for the one-pot synthesis of meropenem has been successfully developed and implemented for industrial application. The palladium content of the catalyst is reduced by 20% compared to the Pd/AC catalyst in the two-step synthesis process of meropenem, effectively saving precious metal resources.

The first author of the paper is Yuefeng Li (PhD student), and the corresponding author is Professor Xinli Jing and Associate Professor Yu Li.