• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.140-146
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• 1996

Imidacloprid and a series of the related compounds were synthesized, and influence of 3-N substituents(R) on the insecticidal activities against Brown plant hopper(Nilaparvata lugens) and Green peach aphid(Myzus persicae) were examined quantitatively from the structure-activities relationships(Shh) techniques. The results indicated that the molecular hydrophobicity$({\pi})$ and inductive substituent constant$({\sigma}^{\ast})$ of substituents(R) at 3-nitrogen position on the imidazolidine ring were important factors. Variations in the potency were parabolically related to the both constants. In case of Brown plant hopper, optimum value of ${\pi}$ constant was 0.52, whereas the value of ${\sigma}^{\ast}$ constant against Green peach aphid was 1.17, respectively. Among them, the strong electron withdrawing groups$({\sigma}^{\ast}>0)$ such as methyl and benzenesulfonyl group(7 & 8) showed lower insecticidal activity and non-substituted, 1(imidacloprid) showed the best insecticidal activity. It seems that the intramolecular associated(H-bond) form between 2-N-nitro group and 3-imid group may contribute to the higher insecticidal activity to the both sucking insects. And in aqueous solution, 1 showed higher residual activity below pH 6.0, and the half-life$(T_{1/2})$ was about 6 month at pH 7.0 $(ca.\;k_{obs.}:5{\times}10^{-8}sec.^{-1})$ and $45^{\circ}C$.