Benzenesulphonylcarbamates: new herbicides.

Abstract

IN the course of a search for compounds with action on plant growth, we have discovered a group of ring substituted benzenesulphonylcarbamate esters with interesting herbicidal activity1. The herbicidal activity of carbamates is, in general well known, and phenylcarbamates in particular, for example propham2, chlorpropham3 and barban4, are used in agriculture as selective herbicides to control grasses. Formally these new herbicides can be considered as compounds in which a sulphonyl group has been introduced into the phenylcarbamate structure, but their properties resemble more closely those of substituted sulphonamides. The essential feature of carbamate herbicides—an NHCOO-linkage5—is also a requirement in this new series. The structures of three of the more promising members of this series are shown in Table 1.