Chemical Methods for Construction of Spirocyclic β-Lactams and their Biological Importance

Spirocyclic β-lactams are a family of natural and synthetic chemicals with different biological activity, including antibacterial properties and interaction with critical physiological targets such as T-type calcium channels and acetyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase. Their unique chemical structure, combining spiro ring system with β-lactam group, offers promising opportunities for targeted medication discovery in medicinal chemistry. Spirocyclic β-lactams have the potential to be adaptable frameworks for developing novel therapeutic medicines with particular three-dimensional pharmacophoric characteristics and increased biological efficacy. Numerous methods are employed in the synthesis of spirocyclic β-lactams, such as cyclization, functional group modifications, asymmetric synthesis utilizing chiral catalysts and biomimetic approaches. In this Short Review, two distinct approaches to recent synthesis of spirocyclic β-lactams are discussed: one is based on constructing the β-lactam ring, while the other entails transforming monocyclic β-lactams into spirocyclic structures (from 2021 to till date). These methods include detailed reaction processes and biological function descriptions of target spirocycles. The applications of spirocyclic β-lactams in medicinal chemistry highlight their role in synthesis of structurally diverse compounds with significant therapeutic potential, demonstrating creative chemical methods of building complex molecular structures. 1 Introduction 2 β-Lactam Ring Synthesis 3 Non-β-Lactam Ring Synthesis 4 Miscellaneous Examples 5 Conclusion and Outlook 6 References