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.