Intermediates useful for the synthesis of pesticides

Abstract: The present invention pertains to novel 3-substituted-4-thiopyrrole intermediates for the preparation of 1-arylpyrrole compounds that are useful for the control of insects, acarids and nematodes. The compounds, including their isomers, e.g ., diastereomers and optical isomers, are compounds of a general formula (I) wherein R, R₁, R₂, W and n are as defined in the description.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to new 3-substituted-4-thiopyrroles and to processes for their preparation. The invention also pertains to the application of said compounds to the preparation of pesticides for the use in agriculture for the control of arthropods, especially insects, arachnids, and nematodes. 2. Description of the Related Art Various substituted pyrrole compounds are known to exhibit a number of different types of activity, including pharmaceutical activity and pesticidal activity. Included among these are the following: EP 600,157 discloses a method for the chlorination of substituted pyrrole compounds. Foley, Tetrahedron Lett. , 1994, 33 (5989-92), is a chemistry article which discloses 3-cyano- or 3-carboethoxypyrroles, which are substituted in the 2-position with either chlorine or alkoxy and in the 5-position with either alkyl or phenyl. There appears to be no disclosed pesticidal activity. US 5,302,383 and US 5,254,559 disclose 1-(substituted)thioalkylpyrrole compounds for control of insect, acarid, and mollusk pests. US 5,284,863 discloses 2- or 3-phenylpyrrole compounds for control of phytopathogenic fungi. EP 557,732 discloses 3-cyano- or 3-nitropyrrole compounds for control of helminth, acarid, and arthropod parasites of warm-blooded animals. US 5,187,185 discloses 1-arylpyrroles useful as insecticides. US 5,116,998; US 5,101,042 and US 5,041,556 disclose a process for the preparation of nematicidal, insecticidal, and acaricidal 2-halo-3-substituted pyrrole compounds. US 5,010,098 discloses 2- or 3-phenylpyrrole compounds for control of insects, acarids, and nematodes. Abdalla et al ., J. Heterocyclic Chem. , 1987, 24 , 297-301, and Johnson et al ., J. Heterocyclic Chem. , 1977, 14 , 383-5, are chemistry articles which disclose the preparation of 2-amino-3-cyanopyrrole compounds. There appears to be no pesticidal activity. JP 50105832 discloses substituted pyrrole compounds for use as herbicides. EP 491,197 discloses the use of 2,3-dicyanopyrroles for the preparation of pyrrole [1,2,-b] [1,2,4]triazole cyan couplers for use in photographic film. EP 549,866 discloses 2- or 3-phenylpyrrole compounds as insecticides and acaricides. Berlin et al ., J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans. 2 , 1990, 699-704, is a chemistry article which discloses 3-thiopyrroles. There appears to be no disclosed pesticidal activity. Cibura et al ., J. Heterocyclic Chem. , 1985, 22 , 1689-91, is a chemistry article which discloses 2- and 3-(trifluoromethylthio)pyrroles. There appears to be no disclosed pesticidal activity. Haas et al ., Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. , 1985, 524 , 33-9, and Haas et al ., Chem. Ber. , 1985, 118 , 4588-96, are chemistry articles which disclose tetrakis[trifluoromethyl(thio)]pyrrole compounds. There appears to be no disclosed pesticidal activity. Harris et al ., Aust. J. Chem. , 1984, 37 , 2479-87, is a chemistry article which discloses 3-thiopyrrole compounds. There appears to be no disclosed pesticidal activity. JP 55051065 discloses 2-amino-3,4,5-tri( tert -butylthio)pyrrole and its acetamido derivative. Dorn et al ., Helv. Chim. Acta, 1979, 62 , 1442-50, is a chemistry article which discloses fungicidal, herbicidal, and insecticidal activity of 2,4-di(perhalomethylthio)pyrrole compounds. JP 54044669 and JP 54044668 disclose 2,3-di(tert-butylthio)pyrrole compounds. US 4,112,112 and DE 2629877 disclose 3-thiopyrrole compounds as intermediates to the preparation of pyrrole[2,1-b][3]-benzapines for use as muscle relaxants or tranquilizers. Haas et al ., Chem. Ber. , 1977, 110 , 67-77, is a chemistry article which discloses 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-(haloalkylthio)- and -(haloformylthio)pyrroles. It is thus apparent that the nature and position of substituent groups on substituted pyrroles provide widely different types of biological activity, which type and level of activity is not readily apparent. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to novel 3-substituted-4-thiopyrrole intermediates for the preparation of 1-arylpyrrole compounds that are useful for the control of insects, acarids and nematodes. The compounds, including their isomers, e.g., diastereomers and optical isomers, are compounds of a general formula (I): wherein: R is alkyl, linear or branched chain having up to 6 carbon atoms or haloalkyl, linear or branched chain having up to 6 carbon atoms, in which halo is F, Cl or Br or combinations thereof; R 1 is halogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkenylamino, alkynylamino, alkylcarbonylamino, haloalkylcarbonylamino, wherein alkyl, alkenyl and alkynyl groups and moieties are linear or branched having up to 6 carbon atoms and the halo substitution consists of one or more halogen atoms, which are the same or different, from mono substitution up to complete polysubstitution. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the specification, the term "alkyl" generally refers to straight- or branched-chain alkyl having up to six carbon atoms. The term "haloalkyl" generally refers to straight- or branched-chain alkyl having up to six carbon atoms, bearing one or more halogen which are the same or different. R is preferably haloalkyl. When R is haloalkyl, preferably it is methyl having three halogen, such as -CF 3 or, most preferably, -CCl 2 F. A further preferred class of compounds of formula (I) above is that wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, haloalkyl and alkyl-S(O) m . Compounds of formula (I) above in which R 1 is alkyl are particularly preferred, with methyl most preferred. It is an object of the present invention to provide new intermediates to pesticidal compounds of the 1-arylpyrrole family together with processes for their preparation. The compounds of general formula (I) can be prepared by the application or adaptation of known methods (i.e. methods heretofore used or described in the chemical literature), for example as described hereinbelow. According to a further feature of the present invention, compounds of general formula (I) in which R is alkyl or haloalkyl and n is zero, can be prepared by the reaction of an intermediate pyrrole of formula (II): wherein R 1 is as defined above, with: an alkylthiohalide or haloalkylthiohalide to give compounds wherein R is alkyl or haloalkyl; or an activated disulfur compound such as S 2 Cl 2 , (SCN) 2 , or SC(NH 2 ) 2 /Br 2 to give a compound wherein R is replaced by cyano, -C(NH 2 )(=NH), or and n is zero; which, according to a feature of the invention, is reacted with an alkylating or haloalkylating agent, in the presence of a reducing medium such as NaBH 4 , SO 2 /NaO 2 CH 3 , or Na 2 S 2 O 3 to give compounds where R is alkyl or haloalkyl. The proper conditions for sulfenylation will depend upon the nature of the starting materials and the product formed, that is to say solubility, reactivity, stability, etc. In general, reaction will be performed optionally in a suitable solvent, at a temperature between -100°C and 100°C. While such conditions may be required to be individually selected, in general, the compounds of formula (I) can readily be prepared by known sulfenylation methods such as those described in Clavel et al ., J. Chem. Soc. Perkins Trans 1, 1992, 3371-5; Grant et al ., J. Am. Chem. Soc. , 1960, 82 , 2742-4; Haas et al ., Chemische Ber. , 1977, 110 , 67-77; and US 5,197,185. According to a further feature of the present invention compounds of formula (I) in which n is one or two may be prepared by oxidizing the corresponding compounds of formula (I) in which n is zero or one. The reaction is performed by known methods, e.g., treatment with 3-chloroperbenzoic acid or hydrogen peroxide, optionally in a solvent and optionally in the presence of a catalyst. Compounds of formula (II) above are known or can be prepared by methods or processes, for example as described in Foley, Tetrahedron Lett. , 1994, 33 (5989-92); EP 557,732, published September 1, 1993; US 5,116,998, issued May 26, 1992; US 5,101,042, issued March 31, 1992; US 5,041,556, issued August 20, 1991; and Davies et al ., J. Chem. Soc. , 1994 (126-131). Compounds of formula (II) in which R 1 is Cl, Br, I or F, may be prepared by treatment of the corresponding compound of formula (II) in which R 1 is replaced by hydrogen with a suitable electrophilic reagent (e.g. N-chlorosuccinimide, bromine, iodine, xenon difluoride) by well-known methods, as described, for example, by Jackson et al in Heterocyclic Compounds . Vol. 48, Part 1, John Wiley and Sons, new York, 1990 Chapter 3. Compounds of formula (II) in which R 1 is -NR 11 R 12 wherein R 11 and/or R 12 are not H, are prepared by alkylations, or other well-known methods of chemistry, of compounds of formula (II) wherein R 1 = NR 11 R 12 where R 11 and/or R 12 =H, such as those described in Greene et al ., Protective Groups in Organic Chemistry ; John Wiley and Sons, Inc; New York; 1991; Chapter 7. Compounds of formula (III) above may be prepared by reacting a cyano compound of formula (IV): NC-CH 2 CN wherein W is as defined above, with a carbonyl compound of general formula (V): L-CH 2 C(=O)R 6 wherein R 6 is as defined above and L is a leaving group, e.g. halogen, sulfonate, ester or hydroxy. The reaction is generally carried out according to the method of Sainsbury et al ., Tetrahedron Lett. , 1988, 29 , 6505-8, or Toja et al ., Synthesis , 1986, 272. Compounds of formula (II) wherein R 1 is alkylsulfenyl may be oxidized to compounds of formula (II) in which R 1 is alkylsulphinyl or alkylsulfonyl. The reaction is performed by known methods, e.g. treatment with 3-chlorperbenzoic acid or hydrogen peroxide, optionally in a solvent and optionally in the presence of a catalyst. Compounds of formulae (III) and (V) above are known or can be prepared using known methods. Thiopyrrole compounds of general formula (I) are useful for the preparation of 1-arylpyrrole compounds of general formula (VII), which are useful as pesticides as described in US 5,187,185. Pesticidally active compounds of general formula (VII) may be prepared from compounds of general formula (I) by e.g. treatment of a compound of general formula (I) with an arylating agent (VI), preferably in the presence of a base (e.g. sodium hydride, sodium hydroxide, or potassium carbonate) in a suitable solvent, and at a temperature between 0-150°C, according to the scheme: wherein R, R 1 and n are as defined in claim 1, L is the leaving group halogen R 10 is hydrogen or halogen and R 7 , R 8 , R 9 and R 11 are individually selected from hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 3 alkyl, C 1 -C 3 alkoxy and C 1 -C 3 alkylthio. The aromatic compounds of formula (VI) are generally known compounds of organic chemistry and usually commercially available or can be prepared from such available compounds by known methods. Several compounds of formula (VI) have been used in a similar manner as intermediates for the synthesis of a number of pesticidal heterocyclic compounds such as phenylpyridones in EP 367,410, 1-(2-pyridyl)pyridones in EP 272,824, phenylpyrimid-6-one derivatives in US 5,104,878, 1-aryl-2-yl-pyrazine-2-one derivatives in EP 408,196, pyridylpyrimidinone derivatives in EP 357,201, pyrimidinone derivatives in EP 338,686 or arylindazoles in WO 93/18008.

Claims: A compound of the formula: wherein: R is alkyl, linear or branched chain having up to 6 carbon atoms or haloalkyl, linear or branched chain having up to 6 carbon atoms, in which halo is F, Cl or Br or combinations thereof; R 1 is halogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkenylamino, alkynylamino, alkylcarbonylamino, haloalkylcarbonylamino, wherein alkyl, alkenyl and alkynyl groups and moieties are linear or branched having up to 6 carbon atoms and the halo substitution consists of one or more halogen atoms, which are the same or different, from mono substitution up to complete polysubstitution. n is 0, 1 or 2. The compound according to claim 1 in which R is haloalkyl. The compound according to claim 2 in which R is -CF 3 or -CCl 2 F. The compound according to claim 3 in which R is -CCl 2 F. The compound according to claim 1 in which R 1 is alkyl. The compound according to claim 5 in which R 1 is methyl. A process for the preparation of a compound according to claim 1 which comprises reacting a compound of formula (II): wherein R 1 is as defined in claim 1 with an alkylthiohalide or haloalkylthiohalide, optionally oxidizing the obtained compound to the corresponding compound in which n is one and finally optionally oxidizing once again the oxidized compound to the corresponding compound in which n is two. A process for the preparation of a compound according to claim 1 which comprises reacting a compound of formula (I'): wherein R' represents cyano, -C(NH 2 )(=NH) or and R 1 is as defined in claim 1, with an alkylating or haloalkylating agent, in the presence of a reducing medium. A process for the preparation of a 1-arylpyrole of formula (VII) which comprises reacting a compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 with an arylating agent of formula (VI) according to the following scheme: wherein R, R 1 and n are as defined in claim 1, L is halogen and in which R 10 is hydrogen or halogen; and R 7 , R 8 , R 9 and R 11 are individually selected from hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 3 alkyl, C 1 -C 3 alkoxy and C 1 -C 3 alkylthio.

Inventors: CHENE ALAIN, HUBER SCOT KEVIN, CHENE, ALAIN, HUBER, SCOT KEVIN
Applicants: AVENTIS CROPSCIENCE SA, AVENTIS CROPSCIENCE S.A.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: C07D207
IPC codes: C07D207