Abstract:
A novel compound represented by the formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R represents a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms which has an intense microbicidal activity over a wide range of microorganisms and is applicable to a microbicide.

Description:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 227,660 filed Aug. 3, 1988, now abandoned. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to novel N-alkylbenzenesulfonylcarbamoyl-5-chloroisothiazole derivatives, and microbicides containing the same. 
     The microbicide of the present invention is widely useful in, for example, paper industry, textile industry, producing coatings and adhesives, painting, metal processing, resin industry, wood industry, construction industry, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food industry and petroleum industry as well as medicine. As will be described hereinafter, the compound of the present invention exhibits an intense microbicidal effect and thus available in these fields. For example, it may be added, in an appropriate amount, to a processing water, a circulating water, a raw material or a product. Further, it may be employed for disinfecting or sterilizing facilities, plants, livestock barns or instruments as well as seeds, seedlings and raw materials. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is known that serious damages are caused by microorganisms in various fields. Thus, there has been urgently required to develop an effective and advantageous microbicide. For example, it is required in the field of agriculture to develop, for example, fungicides for controlling plant diseases caused by bacteria and molds, seed disinfectants and soil disinfectants. Further, there are serious problems in the field of technology. Namely, raw materials and products are contaminated or degraded with bacteria and molds, which lowers the commercial values of the products. Furthermore, the production process, facilities and environment are also contaminated therewith. It is urgently required to solve these problems. 
     Although some derivatives of isothiazolone are known [cf. JP-B-46 21240 (the term &#34;JP-B&#34; used herein means Japanese examined patent publication) corresponding to U.S Pat. No. 3,523,121 and J. Heterocyclic Chem., 8, 587 (1971)], the compound of the present invention has never been reported hitherto. In addition, every known compound is highly toxic to homeothermic animals and fishes, which significantly restricts the applications of the same. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to overcome the above problems, the present inventors have synthesized a number of compounds and examined the properties thereof. As a result, we have found that the novel compound represented by formula (I): ##STR2## wherein R represents a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, exerts an intense microbicidal effect over a wide range of microorganisms and an excellent disinfecting and sterilizing effect and that it is hardly toxic to homeothermic animals and fishes, thus completeing the present invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In formula (I), a lower alkyl group represented by R is preferably a methyl group. 
     The compound of the present invention may be readily synthesized according to a method described in, e.g., JP B-46-21240 as mentioned above. For example, it may be obtained by dissolving 5-chloro-3-hydroxyisothiazole in an appropriate solvent such as benzene or toluene, adding dropwise the equivalent amount of a 2-, 3- or 4-alkylbenzenesulfonyl isocyanate dissolved in the above solvent thereto under stirring, allowing the obtained mixture to react at room temperature and collecting the precipitate thus formed by filtration. 
     The compound according to the present invention exhibits an intense microbicidal activity over a wide range of microorganisms and thus is available as, for example, an agricultural fungicide for protecting seeds, seedlings, crops, harvests and agricultural materials from microbial damages. It is also available in the disinfection of, for example, agricultural facilities or culturing environment. It is further available in preventing, for example, medical facilities, residences, livestock barns, various plants or commercial facilities from microbial contamination. It is furthermore available in maintaining the qualities of industrial products such as wood, wood products, pulp, paper crafts, leather, textile, synthetic resins, coatings or adhesives or exterminating undesirable microorganisms in the process for producing the same. 
     When the compound of the present invention is to be employed as a microbicide, it may be used, needless to say, as such. However, it is usually blended with appropriate auxiliaries and formulated into a common microbicide form such as oil solution, emulsion, dust, wettable powder, granules or suspention. Examples of the carriers to be used include solid ones such as clay, talc, diatomaceous earth, china clay, calcium carbonate, silicic anhydride and bentonite; and liquid ones such as aromatic hydrocarbons such as xylene, aliphatic hydrocarbons such as kerosine, ketones such as methyl ethyl ketone and cyclohexanone, ethers such as anisole, alcohols such as ethanol, propanol and ethylene glycol, esters such as ethyl acetate and butyl acetate, dimethyl- sulfoxide, dimethylformamide and water. It is preferable to further add appropriate auxiliaries such as emulsifiers, dispersants, wetting agents or binders thereto, depending on the purpose, to thereby further ensure the effect of the composition. Examples of these auxiliaries include ionic or nonionic surfactants, carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl acetate, gums, stearates and waxes. Alternately, the compound of the present invention may be directly dissolved in a medium such as an adhesive or a coating or dispersed, in the form of a fine powder, therein. 
     The microbicide of the present invention may be employed together with other microbicides, insecticides, acaricides, herbicides and plant growth regulators such as dithiocarbamate compounds, organic iodine compounds, carbamate compounds, organic chlorine compounds, sulfamide compounds, sulfonyl urea compounds, urea compounds, thiolcabamate compounds, organic phosphate compounds, azole compounds, pyrimidine compounds, benzamide compounds, dicarbamide compounds, phthalamide compounds, antibiotics, benzimidazole compounds, benzthiazole compounds, benzisothiazole compounds, triazine compounds and quinoline compounds or applied as a mixture therewith. 
     The amount of the compound of the present invention used in the microbicide of the present invention may be varied over a wide range depending on the purpose. The amount generally ranges from 0.01 to 95%, preferably from 0.1 to 80% based on the total weight of the composition. 
     At the application of the microbicide of the present invention, the compound of the present invention or a composition thereof as described above may be applied, either as such or appropriately diluted with a medium such as water, a powder, a coating or an adhesive, other oily or aqueous or emulsion vehicle or a gas, to, for example, the surface or inside of crops or other plants, seeds, harvests, agricultural or industrial materials, production systems, industrial products, various apparatus or facilities or in the atmosphere, to the surface of inside of water, or to the surface or inside of soil in a conventional manner such as immersing, applying, coating, smearing, spraying, fuming on injecting. When the microbicide of the present invention is to be used as an agricultural fungicide, for example, in a liquid vehicle, it is effective to apply the same at ratio of 5 to 1,000 g of the active ingredient per 10 a. When it is to be used as an industrial fungicide, it is appropriate to adjust the final concentration of the active ingredient from 0.001 to 5% by weight in the vehicle. 
     The present invention will be illustrated in detail referring to the following examples. Thus variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In the examples, all parts refers to parts by weight, unless otherwise specified. 
    
    
     EXAMPLE 1 
     Preparation of 5-chloro-2-(N-4-tolunenesulfonylcarbamoyl)3-isothiazolone (Compound 1) 
     4.3 parts (0.032 mol) of 5-chloro-3-hydroxyisothiazole was dissolved in 50 parts of dry toluene and stirred at 25° C. To the resulting solution, 6.3 parts (0.032 mol) of p-toluenesulfonyl isocyanate dissolved in 20 parts of toluene was added. The pale yellow precipitate thus formed increased by continuously stirring. The pre-cipitate was collected by filtration. Thus, 9.14 parts (yield: 85.9%) of 5-chloro-2-(N-4-toluenesulfonylcarbamoyl)-3-isothiazolone (Compound 1) was obtained in the form of a pale yellow solid. m.p.: 125°-128° C. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     Preparation of 5-chloro-2 (N-2-toluenesulfonylcarbamoyl)3-isothiazolone (Compound 2) 
     4.3 parts (0.032 mol) of 5-chloro-3-hydroxyisothiazole was dissolved in 50 parts of dry toluene and stirred at 25° C. To the resulting solution, 6.3 parts (0.032 mol) of o-toluenesulfonyl isocyanate dissolved in 20 parts of toluene was added. Then, the procedure of Example 1 was repeated. Thus, 8.62 parts (yield: 81.2%) of 5-chloro-2-(N-2-toluenesulfonylcarbamoyl)-3-isothiazolone (Compound 2) was obtained in the form of a brown solid. m.p.: 82° to 84° C. 
     EXAMPLE 3 
     Preparation of dust 
     The following components were uniformly ground and mixed to give a dust containing 3 wt% of the active ingredient. 
     
         ______________________________________              AmountComponent          (parts by weight)______________________________________Compound 1         3.0Calcium stearate   2.0Silicic anhydride fine powder              0.5Clay               94.5______________________________________ 
    
     EXAMPLE 4 
     Preparation of wettable powder 
     The following components were uniformly ground and mixed to give a wettable powder containing 30 wt% of the active ingredient. 
     
         ______________________________________                AmountComponent            (parts by weight)______________________________________Compound 2           30Polyoxyethylene alkylaryl ether                10Polyoxyethylene alkylaryl sulfonate                 5Silicic anhydride fine powder                10Clay                 25Diatomaceous earth   20______________________________________ 
    
     EXAMPLE 5 
     Preparation of oil solution 
     The following components were uniformly mixed and dissolved to give an oil solution containing 20 wt% of the active ingredient. 
     
         ______________________________________                AmountComponent            (parts by weight)______________________________________Compound 1           20Lauryltrimethyldi(polyhydroxy-                10ethyl)ammonium chloridePolyoxyethylene alkylaryl ether                 5N, N-dimethylformamide                65______________________________________ 
    
     EXAMPLE 6 
     The following components were uniformly ground and mixed and an appropriate amount of water was added thereto. The resulting mixture was granulated and dried to give granules containing 10 wt% of the active ingredient. 
     
         ______________________________________            AmountComponent        (parts by weight)______________________________________Compound 2       10Sodium lignin sulfonate             2Carboxymethylcellulos             1Clay             87______________________________________ 
    
     To illustrate the effects of the invention, the following Test Examples will be given. 
     TEST EXAMPLE 1 
     2-fold serial dilutions of a solution of Compounds 1 and 2 were made with a potato agar medium on a plate. This plate was inoculated with each test microorganism which was then cultured therein at 25° C. for ten days. Then, the growth of the microorganism was examined to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of the test compounds. 
     The results are shown in Table 1. 
     
                       TABLE 1______________________________________            Minimum inhibitory            concentration (mcg/ml)Test Microorganism Compound 1 Compound 2______________________________________Aspergillus niger ATCC 6275              25         25Aspergillus flavus ATCC 9643              12.5       12.5Aspergillus terreus PQMD 82J              6.25       3.13Aspergillus fumigatus IAM. 3006              12.5       12.5Penicillium citrinum ATCC 9848              25         12.5Penicillium funiculosum              12.5       12.5ATCC 9644Rhizopus stlonifer K 203              3.13       3.1Mucor spinescens IAM. Mu 3              12.5       6.25Cladosporium herbarum              3.13       12.5IAM. F 517Gliocladium virens USDA T-1              0.78       0.78Chaetomium globosum ATCC 8059              50         50Pullularia pullulan IAM. F 24              6.25       6.25Tyromyces palustris              12.5       6.25Coriolus versicolor              100        100Xanthomonas campestris pv. oryzae              0.2        0.05&gt;Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci              1.56       0.78Pseudomonas syringae pv.              12.5       25lacrymansErwinia carotovora subsp.              3.13       3.13carotovoraCorynebacterium michiganense pv.              12.5       12.5michiganensePyricularia oryzae 3.13       3.13Diaporthe citri    1.56       3.13Colletotrichum lagenalium              0.78       0.78Alternaria kikuchiana              3.13       3.13Glomerella cingulata              1.56       1.56Botrytis cinerea   6.25       6.25Fusarium oxysporum f.              3.13       3.13lycopersiciGibberella fujikuroi              1.56       1.56Cochliobolus miyabeanus              3.13       3.13Rhizoctonia solani sasakii type              50         25Rhizoctonia solani filamentosa              100        100&lt;type______________________________________ 
    
     TEST EXAMPLE 2 
     Disinfection against bakanae disease 
     Approximately 1.5 g of rice seeds (cultural variety: Nihonbare and Kinki No. 33) infected with bakanae disease (causal fungus: Gibberella fujikuroi) were weighed and introduced into a test tube. 5 ml of a solution of Compounds 1 and 2 of a definite concentration as shown in Table 2 below was poured into the test tube and thoroughly shaken. Then, the seeds were incubated at 25° C. for 24 hours. The solution of the test compound was decanted and the seeds were sowed in a raising box (30×60×5 cm). The outbreak of the disease was induced by maintaining the raising box in a phytotron at 18° to 35° C. After four weeks, namely, at the fourth to fifth leaf stage, seedlings showing elongation of third sheaths and thinned leaf blades, which were referred to suffer from bakanae disease, were counted. The inhibitory value was calculated in accordance with the following equation (II). ##EQU1## 
     Phytotoxicity was determined by observing growth inhibition of the seedlings and necrosis of the leaves. The simbol &#34;-&#34; shown in Table 2 means that any phytotoxicity was not observed. A commercially available Benlate wettable powder (manufactured by du Pont, U.S.A.; containing 20% of thiuram and 20% of benomyl) was used as a control. 
     The results are shown in Table 2. 
     
                                           TABLE 2__________________________________________________________________________        Concentration                 Numbers of                       Numbers                            Outbreak                                 InhibitoryCultural  Compound        of the compound                 infected                       of total                            ratio                                 value Phyto-Variety  No.   (ppm)    seedlings                       seedlings                            (%)  (%)   toxicity__________________________________________________________________________Nipponbare  1     1,000    1     53   1.9  97    --&#34;      1     500      2     66   3.0  95    --&#34;      1     250      17    70   24.3 58    --&#34;      2     1,000    1     68   1.5  97    --&#34;      2     500      2     72   2.8  95    --&#34;      2     250      10    74   13.5 86    --&#34;      control        1,000    28    71   39.4 31    --&#34;      none  --       43    75   57.3  0    --Kinki No. 33  1     1,000    1     67   1.5  98    --&#34;      1     500      3     70   4.3  96    --&#34;      1     250      5     73   6.8  89    --&#34;      2     1,000    0     72   0.0  100   --&#34;      2     500      2     68   2.9  95    --&#34;      2     250      7     76   9.2  85    --&#34;      control        1,000    27    72   37.5 37    --&#34;      none  --       46    77   59.7  0    --__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     The results shown in Table 2 obviously indicates that the compounds of the present invention are highly effective in disinfecting rice seeds. 
     TEST EXAMPLE 3 
     Disinfection against bakanae disease 
     The wettable powder prepared in Example 4 was diluted for a test liquid with water to each concentrations shown in Table 3. The rice seeds (cult. var.: Kinki No.33) infected with bakanae diseases (causal fungus: Gibberella fujikuroi) were subjected to the soaking treatment or the dressing treatment with the test liquid. On the soaking treatment, approximately 10 g of the rice seeds were soaked in 30 ml of the test liquid at 25° C. for 24 hours. Then, the seeds were air dryed and incubated in water to stimulate germination for 2 days. On the dressing treatment, approximately 10 g of the rice seeds were dressed uniformly with 50 mg of the wettable powder. The treated seeds were sowed in a plastic box (11 ×16×6 cm), and maintained in a phytotron. Twenty seven days after sowing, the outbreak ratio was determined and inhibitory value was computed by the equation (II). Phytotoxicity was determined in the same manner as in Test example 2. Benlate wettable powder was used as a control. 
     The results are shown in Table 3. 
     
                                           TABLE 3__________________________________________________________________________                 Numbers of                       Numbers                            Outbreak                                 InhibitoryCompound    Concentration                 infected                       of total                            ratio                                 value Phyto-No.   Treatment       of the compound                 seedlings                       seedlings                            (%)  (%)   toxicity__________________________________________________________________________1     soaking       1,000            ppm  24    305  7.9  81    --&#34;     &#34;     500  ppm  55    340  16.2 61    --&#34;     &#34;     250  ppm  122   321  38.0 19    --&#34;     dressing       0.5  %    25    351  7.1  83    --2     soaking       1,000            ppm  19    337  5.6  87    --&#34;     &#34;     500  ppm  57    366  15.6 63    --&#34;     &#34;     250  ppm  111   348  31.9 24    --&#34;     dressing       0.5  %    18    357  5.0  88    --control soaking       1,000            ppm  129   355  36.3 13    --&#34;     dressing       0.5  %    38    362  10.5 75    --none  --    --        144   344  41.9  0    --__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     TEST EXAMPLE 4 
     Disinfection against brown spot 
     The rice seeds (cult. var.: Nihonbare) infected with brown spot (causal fungus: Cochliobolus miyakeanus) were tested in the same manner as in Test Example 3 and the inhibitory value was computed by the equation (II). 
     The results are shown in Table 4. 
     
                                           TABLE 4__________________________________________________________________________                 Numbers of                       Numbers                            Outbreak                                 InhibitoryCompound    Concentration                 infected                       of total                            ratio                                 value Phyto-No.   Treatment       of the compound                 seedlings                       seedlings                            (%)  (%)   toxicity__________________________________________________________________________1     soaking       1,000            ppm   2    342  0.5  98    --&#34;     &#34;     500  ppm  12    327  3.7  84    --&#34;     &#34;     250  ppm  33    322  10.2 55    --&#34;     dressing       0.5  %     0    291  0.0  100   --2     soaking       1,000            ppm   3    336  0.9  96    --&#34;     &#34;     500  ppm   7    318  2.2  90    --&#34;     &#34;     250  ppm  26    338  7.7  66    --&#34;     dressing       0.5  %     0    324  0.0  100   --control soaking       1,000            ppm  53    267  19.9 13    --&#34;     soaking       0.5  %    32    331  9.7  58    --none  --    --        53    231  22.9  0    --__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     TEST EXAMPLE 5 
     Disinfection against rice blast 
     The rice seeds (cult. var.: Kusabue) infected with rice blast (causal fungus: pyricularia oryzae) were treated by the same manner as in Test Example 2. Then, the rice seeds were sowed in 9 cm-petri dish and incubated at 25° C. for 2 days. Sporulation of the fungi on the surface of the infected seeds was observed under microscope. The number of the infected seeds was determined and inhibitory value was computed by the equation (II). 
     The results are shown in Table 5. 
     
                                           TABLE 5__________________________________________________________________________ Concentration          Numbers of                Numbers                     Outbreak                          InhibitoryCompound of the compound          infected                of total                     ratio                          value Phyto-No.   (ppm)    seeds seeds                     (%)  (%)   toxicity__________________________________________________________________________1     250      0     120  0    100   --2     250      0     120  0    100   --control 1,000    0     120  0    100   --none  --       49    120  40.8  0    --__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     As described above, the compound according to the present invention exerts an intense microbicidal effect over a wide range of microorganisms and is less toxic to animals than known compounds are. Thus, it can be safely employed for the improvement of undesirable symptoms and conditions caused by microorganisms in the fields of, for example, medicine, animal breeding, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, industry and environ-mental sanitation. 
     While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.