Process for preparing imidazolidine-2,5-dione derivatives

Abstract: The present invention provides two kinds of methods of preparing an imidazolidine-2,5-dione derivative. One is a process for preparing an imidazolidine­ -2,5-dione derivative of the formula which comprises reacting a phenyl isocyanate compound of the formula with methylhydantoin of the formula in the presence of a basic catalyst, wherein X is halogen atom, lower alkyl, lower alkoxyl, lower haloalkyl, nitro, cyano or alkoxycarbonyl, n is an integer of 0 or 1 to 4. The other is a process for preparing an imidazolidine-2,5-dione derivative of the formula which comprises reacting phosgene or trichloromethyl chloformate with methylhydantoin of the formula in the presence of a dehydrogen chloride agent, and further reacting the resulting product with an aniline derivative of the formula in the presence of a dehydrogen chloride agent, wherein X is same as above.

Description: The present invention relates to a process for preparing an imidazolidine-2,5-dione derivative which is simple and high in yield, the derivative being an intermediate of imidazolidine-2-one derivative which is an agriculturally useful herbicide. It is known that the following imidazolidine-2-one derivative is high in herbicidal activity and useful as a herbicide, wherein R is hydrogen atom, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy lower alkyl or lower alkoxycarbonyl lower alkyl, Ar is phenyl which may have, as a substituent, halogen atom, nitro, lower alkyl, lower alkoxyl or lower haloalkyl. For example, US Patent No.4,578,107 discloses that the derivatives are markedly effective in controlling weeds such as Eclipta prostrata, Amaranthus retroflexus, Aeschynomeme indicia, Alopecurus aequalis var, amurensis, Polygonum Hydropiper, Artemisia princeps, Erigeron sumatrensis, Rumex japonicus, L indernia pyxidaria, Rotela indica, Echinochloa Crus-galli, Digitaria adscendens Eleusine indica, Cyperus microiria, etc. Therefore, the present compounds are useful in preventing or controlling weeds which are harmful to agricultural crop plants such as those of citrus, apples, soy beans, corns, mulberries, tea, paddyrice, etc. or which impair the surrounding scenic beauty. In order to use effectively such a useful compound, it is important to produce the same easily at an industrial scale. The above US patent discloses a process for producing the imidazolidine-2-one derivative of the above formula [I], in which imidazolidine-2,4-dione derivative of the formula [II] or imidazolidine-2,5-dione derivative of the formula [III] is reduced and further alkylated to obtain the desired compound, wherein Ar is as defined above. In the above, the starting compounds [II] and [III] can be prepared by a process in which 1-or 3-methylhydantoin is reacted under heating with phenyl isocyanate with or without use of a solvent. The compound [II], an intermediate, is prepared in a high yield, for example, in 80% or more in reference example of the above US patent. On the other hand, the intermediate (III), an imidazolidine-2,5-dione derivative, is not obtained in a sufficient yield by the above method, for example, in about 30% at most in reference example of the above US patent. Further, in case of using a phenyl isocyanate having a substituent in ortho position as a starting compound, the yield is particularly low and such starting compound can not be used for industrial production. EP-A-41465 dicloses a process for preparing N-substituted 1-carbamoyl-3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-imidazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives which comprises reacting, in a first step, phosgene and 3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-hydantoin in an inert organic solvent in the presence of an acid acceptor to obtain a 1-chlorocarbonyl-3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-imidazolidine-2,4-dione derivative which is reacted, in a second step, with an amine in an inert organic solvent in the presence of an acid acceptor to obtain the desired N-substituted product. An object of the invention is to provide a process for preparing an imidazolidine-2,5-dione derivative which is simple and high in yield and purity, the derivative being an intermediate of a herbicide compound. The present invention provides a process for preparing an imidazolidine-2,5-dione derivative of the formula which comprises reacting phosgene or trichloromethyl chloroformate with methylhydantoin of the formula in the presence of a hydrogen chloride acceptor, and further reacting the resulting product with an aniline derivative of the formula in the presence of a hydrogen chloride acceptor, wherein X is halogen atom, lower alkyl, lower alkoxyl, lower haloalkyl, nitro, cyano or alkoxycarbonyl, n is an integer of 0 or 1 to 4. The term "lower" refers to radicals containing preferably 1 to 6, more preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms. The above process is described below in detail. The reaction is conducted preferably in a solvent. The solvent may be any of those which are known in the art and do not cause adverse effect on the reaction and includes benzene, toluene, xylene or like aromatic hydrocarbon ; dichloromethane, dichlorethane, chloroform or like halogenated hydrocarbon, diethyl ether, diisopropyl ether, dibutyl ether, dioxane or like ether ; ethyl acetate or like ester. The above process of the present invention comprises a first step of reacting phosgene or trichloromethyl chloroformate with methylhydantoin and a second step of further reacting the resulting product with the aniline derivative. It is preferable to conduct these reactions in the same reaction vessel in the above solvent without isolating the intermediate. A hydrogen chloride acceptor is used in both of the first and second steps of the present process. Examples of the hydrogen chloride acceptor are triethylamine, tributylamine, dimethylaniline, diethylaniline or like tertiary amine ; pyridine, picoline, lutidine or like pyridine derivative, and preferably used is pyridine. In the first step, phosgene or trichloromethyl chloroformate is used usually and in an amount of 0.1 to 2 moles, preferably 0.25 to 1.5 moles per mole of methylhydantoin. The hydrogen chloride acceptor is used in an amount which corresponds to an amount of phosgene or trichloromethyl chloroformate. When introducing the starting materials into a reaction vessel, it is preferable to introduce gaseous phosgene or to add dropwise through a funnel liquid trichloromethyl chloroformate, to a solvent having dissolved therein methylhydantoin and the hydrogen chloride acceptor with cooling. The reaction temperature is preferably about -10 to 50°C, and reaction time is about 5 to 20 hours. In the second step of the present process, the reaction product of the first step is, without isolation, reacted with the aniline derivative of the formula [VII] in the presence of the hydrogen chloride acceptor. The aniline derivative is used usually in an amount of 0.5 to 2 moles, preferably 0.7 to 1.5 moles per mole of methylhydantoin. The hydrogen chloride acceptor is preferably used in an equivalent mole of the aniline derivative. The reaction temperature is preferably about -10 to 50°C, and reaction time is about 5 to 20 hours. The desired compound of the present invention thus obtained is easily isolated and purified by a usual purification method such as washing with a solvent, recrystallization or the like. According to the present invention, the desired compound [IV] can be obtained in a high yield. The compound is high in purity without a specific purification and thus the present process is advantageous industrially. The invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and references examples. Example 1 Preparation of 3-methylimidazoline-2,5-dione-1-carboxy-(2-fluoroanilide) Into 300-ml four-necked flask were placed 5.7g (0.05 mole) of methylhydantoin, 4.0g (0.05mole) of pyridine, 49ml of dichloroethane and 1 ml of ethyl acetate. To the mixture placed in an ice bath was added dropwise with stirring 3.1ml (0.025mole) of trichloromethyl chloroformate. After stirred at room temperature for 10 hours, the mixture was cooled again and thereto were added 5.6g (0.05mole) of 2-fluoroaniline and 4.0g (0.05mole) of pyridine The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 7 hours, and the resulting crude crystals were collected by filtration. The crude crystals were washed with water and with ethanol and then dried under reduced pressure, giving 7.6g of the above desired compound in the form of colorless crystal. Yield : 60.5% Melting point : 166°C NMR : δ(CDCℓ₃) 3.00(3H), 3.90(2H), 6.85∼7.20(3H), 8.15(1H), 10.20(1H) Example 2 Preparation of 3-methylimidazoline-2,5-dione-1-carboxy-(2-fluoroanilide) The above desired compound (5.4g, melting point 166°C) was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that 5 g of gaseous phosgene was used in place of trichloromethyl chloroformate. Yield : 43.0% Examples 3 to 18 Each of the compounds listed in Table 1 below was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 or 2 with use of a corresponding starting material Table 1 also shows yields when both of phosgene and trichloromethyl chloroformate are used as a starting material. Reference Example 1 Preparation of 3-methyl-5-hydroxyimidazoline-2-one-1-carboxy-(2-fluoroanilide) In 50ml of methanol was dispersed 7.53g(0.03 mole) of 3-methylimidazoline-2,5-dione-1-carboxy-(2-fluoroanilide). After cooled to 10°C, 1.2g(0.03 mole) of sodium borohydride was added to the dispersion with stirring. The mixture was stirred for 30 minutes and then further stirred at room temperature for 2 hours. After completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture was concentrated and water was added to the residue to precipitate crystals. The crystals were filtered and recrystallized from ethanol to obtain 6.92g(yield 91.2%) of white crystals. Melting point : 139.2°C NMR : δ(CDCℓ₃) 2.75(3H), 3.13(1H), 3.42(1H), 4.56(1H), 5.76(1H), 6.75∼7.15(3H, 7.95(1H), 10.20(1H) Reference Examples 2 to 12 The compounds of Reference Examples 2 to 12 mere prepared in the same manner as in Reference Example 1. Test using a plant Test Example 1 (postemergence test) A Wagner's pot (1/2000 are) was filled with sterilized alluvial soil, and seeds of the plants listed in Table 4 were sown or transplanted. The compound of Reference Examples was dissolved in acetone and thereto was added Tween 80 in an amount of 10%. The mixture was diluted with water to apply in an amount of 50g ai/10a, and the dilution was sprinkled so that allover the stems and leaves become wet uniformly when each of the plants grew to an approximately constant height (2-to 3-leaf stage). Three weeks after the treatment, a herbicidal effect was examined on each of the plants. The results were given in Table 4. The herbicidal activity was evaluated with an unaided eye and expressed in terms of index relative to non-treated one according to the following criteria. (Index) (Herbicidal activity) 0 no effect 1 1 to 24% kill 2 25 to 49% kill 3 50 to 74% kill 4 75 to 90% kill 5 complete kill Compound Herbicidal activity A B C D E F G H 1 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 5 2 5 5 4 5 5 5 2 5 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 5 4 5 5 3 5 5 5 2 5 5 5 5 3 5 5 5 2 5 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 5 7 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 5 8 5 5 4 5 5 5 2 5 9 5 5 3 5 5 5 2 5 10 5 5 4 5 5 5 2 5 11 5 5 4 5 5 5 2 5 12 5 5 4 5 5 5 3 5 In the above Table, the plants A to H are as follows. A ... Amaranthus retroflexus, B ... Aeschynomene indica, C ... Echinochloa Crus-galli, D ... Raphanus sativus, E ... Fagopyrum esculentum, F ... Pharbitis Nil var. japonica G ... Triticum, H ... Eclipta prostrata Test Example 2 (preemergence test) A Wagner's pot (1/2000 are) was filled with sterilized alluvial soil, and seeds of the plants listed in Table 5 were sown and covered with the soil in about 0.5 to 1cm. The compound of Reference Examples was dissolved in acetone and thereto was added Tween 80 in an amount of 10%. The mixture was diluted with water to apply in an amount of 50g ai/10a, and the dilution was sprinkled so that the surface of the soil become wet uniformly. Three weeks after the treatment, a herbicidal effect was examined on each of the plants. The results were given in Table 5. The herbicidal activity was evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. Compound Herbicidal activity A B C D E F G 1 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 2 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 The plants A to G are same as in Table 4.

Claims: A process for preparing an imidazolidine-2,5-dione derivative of the formula which comprises reacting phosgene or trichloromethyl chloroformate with methylhydantoin of the formula in the presence of a hydrogen chloride acceptor, and further reacting the resulting product with an aniline derivative of the formula in the presence of a hydrogen chloride acceptor, wherein X is halogen atom, lower alkyl, lower alkoxyl, lower haloalkyl, nitro, cyano or alkoxycarbonyl, n is an integer of 0 or 1 to 4. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the hydrogen chloride acceptor is pyridine.

Inventors: IMAI TETUYA C O OTSUKA KAGAKU, IMAI, TETUYA, C/O OTSUKA KAGAKU K.K. NARUTO LAB.
Applicants: OTSUKA KAGAKU KK, OTSUKA KAGAKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1990
Main classification: C07D233
IPC codes: C07D233