Stereoselective synthesis and fungicidal activities of (E)-alpha-(methoxyimino)-benzeneacetate derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring.

Fifteen novel (E)-alpha-(methoxyimino)-benzeneacetate derivatives, the analogues of strobilurins, which contain two pharmacophoric substructures of (E)-methyl methoxyiminoacetate moiety and 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring were stereoselectively synthesized. It was first found that the coupling reaction could give stereoselectively the key intermediate (E) and (Z)-methyl 2-(hydroxyimino)-2-o-tolylacetate 2 with a ratio of 14:1. The preliminary bioassays indicated that all the compounds 1 showed potent fungicidal activity against Rhizoctonia solani, Botrytis cinereapers, Gibberella zeae, Physalospora piricola and Bipolaris mayclis, and all of the tested compounds 1a-1o had more potent fungicidal activities against R. solani than Kresoxim-methyl.