Preparation of 1,3,4-Thiadiazole analog 27 started from 5-
methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine (22) as described in Scheme 6.
Compound 22 was first converted to 2-chloro-5-methyl-1,3,4-
thiadiazole (23) which,17 in turn, was brominated under radical
reaction conditions to generate bromide 24.18 Then the same
sequence of alkylation, deprotection, and cyclization reactions
provided product 27.
18
b
a
c
22
23
24
25
8
d
e
27
26
Scheme 6. Reagents and conditions: (a) t-BuONO, CuCl2, acetonitrile, 0 to 25 oC, then 20% HCl, 77%; (b) NBS, AIBN, CCl4, 76 oC,
o
46% (16% of dibromination product was also isolated); (c) NaH, DMF, 0-25 oC, 97%; (d) TFA, CH2Cl2-H2O, 25 C, 52%; (e) tetralin,
185 oC, 15%.
Insecticidal activity of mesoionic pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidinone
compounds is summarized in Tables 1-4. Test compounds were
formulated using a solution containing 10% acetone, 90% water
and 300 ppm of X-77® spreader surfactant (Loveland industries,
Inc. Greeley, Colorado, USA). The formulated compounds were
sprayed on the foliage of plants at 2–5 rates and tests were
replicated three times. Efficacy was evaluated on the following
test units: 3–4 day-old corn for corn planthopper (Peregrinus
maidis (Ashmead), CPH); 5–6 day-old bean for potato leafhopper
(Empoasca fabae (Harris), PLH); and 10-12 day-old rice for 3rd
instar nymphs of brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens (Stål),
BPH); 10-12 day-old rice for 3rd instar nymphs of rice green
leafhopper (Nephotettix virescens (Distant), GLH); 12–15 day-
old radish plant for green peach aphid (Myzus persicae (Sulzer)
GPA); 6–7 day-old cotton plant for cotton melon aphid (Aphis
gossypii (Glover), CMA); 12–15 day-old radish plant for
Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus), DBM); and
4-5 day-old corn for fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E.
Smith), FAW).2 Mortality was evaluated 6 days after application
for all insects. Insecticidal activity is reported as an LC50 (the
lethal concentration required for 50% mortality) in ppm (mg/kg).
methylene linkage are listed in Table 3. Depending on the
position of the heteroatom in the ring, a number of analogs, 21a-e
and 27c, show further improved hopper activity. Particularly, 2-
chlorothiazol-5-yl analog 21e shows not only exceptional activity
against all 4 hopper species, but also very potent activity against
two representative lepidoptera species (DBM and FAW). This
result led to dividing two sub-areas out of current program, one
on controlling hopper species and the other on controlling
lepidoptera species.
In Table 4, representative analogs with different classes of
substituents at position-1 are compared with the addition of data
on aphicidal activity. Traditional neonicotinoid insecticide
representative imidacloprid is also included for comparison. The
BPH population in test is resistant to imidacloprid with inferior
activity observed for imidacloprid. Starting from the initial n-
propyl compound 4, with the addition of function groups (ester
11a) or heteroatom (O, F, compounds 11g and 14), to finally
heterocycle moiety (compound 21e), not only has insecticidal
potency been improved significantly, but insecticide spectrum
has also expanded to cover BPH, GLH, FAW and GPA. The
phenyl ring at 3-postion of the mesoionic core tolerates a number
of substituents, including 2’-methoxy group or fluorine atom at
2’- or 4’-position as shown by analogs 28, 29, and 30. Analogs
14, 21f, and 28-30, showed strong activity against BPH
populations resistant to imidacloprid. However, no insecticidal
activity was detected for compounds 32 or 33 when 2-
chlorothiazol-5-yl moiety was changed to 2-chlorothiazol-4-yl or
2,4-dichlorothiazol-5yl groups.
Data in Table 1 shows that 1-alkyl mesoionic compounds in
general controls CPH and DBM better than a number of other
species. n-Propyl and cyclopropylmethyl analogs 4 and 4g
showed the most potent insecticidal activity. Analogs with either
smaller alkyl analogs, compounds 4a-b, or larger groups,
compounds 4e-f and 4h-j, provides decreased insecticidal
activity.
Table 2 indicates that a number of oxygen-containing function
groups are tolerated at 1-position. Methyl acetate analog 11a
maintains the same level of CPH activity as that of n-propyl
compound 4, while the corresponding methyl ether analog 11g
shows 2-fold improvement in CPH activity. 2,2,2-Trifluoroethyl
analog 14, on the other hand, provides remarkably high activity
against all four hopper species tested (CPH, PLH, BPH, GLH).
Because BPH and GLH are two rice pest species of significant
economic importance, potent insecticidal activity observed on 14
was the first breakthrough of this area and warrantied further
exploration of this area for controlling rice hopper pests. A
number of other haloalkyl analogs (14a-c) also show activity
against CPH and PLH.
Mode of action work of representative analogs showed that
this class of mesoionic insecticide binds to the orthosteric site of
the nicotinic acetylcholine (nAChR) receptor.19 Although
mesoionics compete for the same binding site as neonicotinoid
insecticides, their physiological effect differs significantly.
Cordova et al., demonstrated that mesoionic insecticides were
highly potent inhibitors of the American cockroach (Periplaneta
americana) nAChR, with minimal receptor activation at
concentrations below 100 M. The inhibitory action is consistent
with lethargic poisoning symptoms observed across multiple
species. The authors further showed a lack of activation of
Xenopus oocytes expressing Drosophila 2/chick 2 nAChRs.
In summary,
a novel class of mesoionic pyrido[1,2-
Insecticidal potency of mesoionic compounds containing a 5-
membered heterocycle moiety connected to position-1 through a
a]pyrimidinone compounds has been discovered as unique
orthosteric nAChR inhibitors. This class of compounds showed