was continued until cefuroxime axetil almost disappeared 45 minutes thereafter 15 aqueous hydrochloric acid 20 ml was added and the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure at low temperature water and ethyl acetate water immiscible solvent were added to the reaction mass basifying agent and the ph level was adjusted to 6 0 using 5 aqueous potassium bicarbonate solution the aqueous layer was separated and acidified with 15 aqueous hydrochloric acid to ph 1 0 the resulting solid was filtered washed with water and dried to yield cefuroxime 15 2 gm to a solution of cefuroxime axetil 20 4 gm s isomer gt 90 r isomer lt 10 in a mixture of tetrahydrofuran 204 ml and methanol 14 ml maintained at u2212 60 u00b0 c was added freshly prepared sodium methoxide 1 89 gm sodium metal was reacted in 28 ml methanol the reaction contents were stirred for 1 hour and 15 aqueous hydrochloric acid 17 ml was added the solvent was distilled at low temperature under vacuum and water was added to the remaining reaction mass ethyl acetate was added and the ph level was adjusted to 6 0 with aqueous potassium bicarbonate the aqueous layer was separated and acidified to ph 1 0 with aqueous hydrochloric acid the separated solid was filtered washed with water and dried to yield cefuroxime 15 66 gm cefuroxime axetil 20 4 gm predominantly s isomer was dissolved in a mixture of tetrahydrofuran 204 ml and ethyl.