The first synthetic β-lactam was prepared by Hermann Staudinger in 1907 by reaction of the Schiff base of aniline and benzaldehyde with diphenylketene in a cycloaddition (Ph indicates a phenyl functional group): Up to 1970, most β-lactam research was concerned with the penicillin and cephalosporin groups, but since then, a wide variety of structures have been described.
A primeira β-lactama sintética preparouna Hermann Staudinger en 1907 ao facer reaccionar a base de Schiff da anilina e o benzaldehido coa difenilcetena nunha cicloadición (o Ph na figura indica un grupo funcional fenilo): Ata 1970, a maioría das investigacións sobre as β-lactamas realizábanse cos grupos da penicilina e cefalosporina, pero desde entón, describíronse unha ampla variedade de estruturas.