Synthesis and herbicidal activities of aryloxyacetic acid derivatives as HPPD inhibitors (Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry)

Abstract A series of aryloxyacetic acid derivatives were designed and synthesized as 4-hydoxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitors. Preliminary bioassay results reveal that these derivatives are promising Arabidopsis thaliana HPPD (AtHPPD) inhibitors, in particular compounds I12 (Ki = 0.011 µM) and I23 (Ki = 0.012 µM), which exhibit similar activities to that of mesotrione, a commercial HPPD herbicide (Ki = 0.013 µM). Furthermore, the newly synthesized compounds show significant greenhouse herbicidal activities against tested weeds at dosages of 150 g ai/ha. In particular, II4 exhibited high herbicidal activity for pre-emergence treatment that was slightly better than that of mesotrione. In addition, compound II4 was safe for weed control in maize fields at a rate of 150 g ai/ha, and was identified as the most potent candidate for a novel HPPD inhibitor herbicide. The compounds described herein may provide useful guidance for the design of new HPPD inhibiting herbicides and their modification. Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 233–247. doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.25