Design, synthesis, and screening of herbicidal activity of new phenyl pyrazole-based protoporphyrinogen oxidase-inhibitors (PPO) overcoming resistance issues.

The present work covers a series of novel PPO inhibiting compounds that contain a pyrazole ring and a substituted thioacetic acid sidechain attached to the core phenyl group. These compounds show good receptor fit in line with excellent herbicidal activity against weeds that plague corn and rice crops with low application rates. This, in combination with promising selectivity in corn, have the potential to mitigate and affect weeds that have become resistant to some of the current market standards. Remarkably, some of the novel PPO-inhibitors outlined herein show efficacies against economically important weeds that were superior to recently commercialized and structurally related tiafenacil. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.