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3,384,473 United States Patent Office Patented May 21, 1968 2 By direct condensation, there is obtained: 3,384,473 O R DERVATIVES OF N-PHENYL-N-BENZOYL UREAS AS HERBECDES Daniel Pilon, Lyon, and Pierre Poignant, Saint-Rambert R Ile-Barbe, France, assignors to Société dite: Pechiney 5 Progil, Paris, France No Drawing. Filed Oct. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 406,171 Claims priority, application France, Oct. 25, 1963, 951,808 Finally, the substituted urea is for example condensed 9 Claims. (C. 71-120) O with an aromatic acid chloride carrying the required sub Stituents; the condensation is effected with elimination of hydrochloric acid. ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUIRE It is possible to run a benzene solution of the acid chlo ride, particularly benzoyl chloride, into a suspension of The growth of plants is controlled by using as a her the substituted urea in benzene and then to heat the said bicidal agent an N-phenyl-N-benzoyl urea in which at Suspension to boiling point for eliminating the hydracid. least one hydrogen on the second urea nitrogen is re It is more convenient to operate in the presence of an acid placed by at least one alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl or alkynyl acceptor, such as dimethylamine, trimethylamine, triethyl group containing less than 5 carbon atoms. The benzoyl amine, morpholine or pyridine. group can be substituted by lower alkyl or alkoxy groups, 20 According to a preferred method of preparation, the halogen, nitro, or nitrile. acid acceptor is itself used as solvent of the reaction mass -managerman-ow by using a large excess with respect to the stoichiometric quantity. For example, one mole of substituted urea is The present invention relates to a new process for the dissolved in 1500 cc. of pyridine. The acid chloride is destruction or control of weeds. run in quickly within 10 to 15 minutes, while keeping It also relates, as new products, to the compositions of the temperature in the region of 35 to 40 C. The mixture products employed in this process. is then stirred for 3 to 4 hours at 35 to 40° C. After stand The active compositions according to the invention are ing for 24 hours, a dilute and cooled solution of a mineral substituted ureas, characterized in that one of the nitro acid is added. The formation of oily droplets is observed, gen atoms carries at least one lower aliphatic radical, 30 these gradually collecting in the solid state. After cen while the other nitrogen atom carries a phenyl group and trifuging, washing with water until neutral and drying, a benzoyl group. The aromatic rings may themselves the dry crude product is triturated with petroleum ether carry several substitutions, in accordance with the gene in order to completely remove the acid chloride and the ral formula: pyridine, and then the product is dried. O O R The substituted ureas according to the invention are / -C-N-C-N generally white, solid substances having an appreciable N solubility in the conventional organic solvents such as Xn RIn R methanol, ethanol, acetone, cyclohexanone, or in solvents My such as dimethylformamide or dimethyl sulfoxide. 40 The following table gives, by way of example, the con (1) ditions used in the preparation of several derivatives origi nating from the reaction of aromatic acid chlorides on in which: N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N', N'-dimethylurea, the general X represents a halogen and n is an integer chosen be formula of the tetrasubstituted ureas referred to being tween 0 and 4. the following: R represents an alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl or alkynyl group O OHis containing fewer than 5 carbon atoms and m is an integer chosen between 0 and 3. R" represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, con taining fewer than 5 carbon atoms. R' represents an alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl or alkynyl group containing fewer than 5 carbon atoms. M represents an NH2, CN or NO2 group and y is an in Cl teger chosen between 0 and 2. 55 R having the meaning which is attributed to it in the The phenyl ring directly connected to the nitrogen can following Table I: carry one or more substituents selected from the halogens TABLE I and/or groups such as: alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl, alkynyl, Trisubsti- Acid chloride Yield calcu- Melting nitro groups. Ex. tuted urea, lated on urea point, number of Number of R and chloride, C. The compounds defined above can be prepared by var 60 mols Imols percent ious synthetic methods. Generally speaking, there is first 0.1 0.1 H 87.9 07-0 of all prepared a substituted urea by causing the reaction, 0.107 0,107 2-Cl 75.7 99 0.137 0.137 4-Cl 94.7 02-06 in the presence of a solvent, of a substituted amine 0.896 0.896 4-O-C3 94. 132-35 R 0. 0.1 4-NO; 89.7 124-130 / 0.1 0. 3,4,5-OCH3 96.0 120-125 E-N 0. 0. 3CH 92.3 115-20 N 4-O-CH3 Rit 0,1 0.1 3-CH3 89 125-130 with an isocyanate 70 EXAMPLE 9 The N-benzoyl-N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N',N'-diethyl { X-No-o urea is obtained from the reaction of benzoyl chloride 3,3 84,473 S. 4. (0.1 mol) on N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N',N'-diethylurea The new substituted ureas which form the Subject of (0.1 mol). the present invention are endowed with outstanding herbi cidal properties. They destroy undesirable weeds, brush The yield obtained is 93.4% and the melting point of wood and shrubs. Employed in smaller quantities, they this benzoyl urea is from 114-117 C. - act as growth regulators. Consequently, they are products which have a very high flexibility in use and the possibili EXAMPLE 10 ties of the application thereof vary very considerably The N-(4-methoxybenzoyl)-N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)- according to the chemical nature and the quantity of the N,N'-diethylurea is obtained from the reaction of 4 herbicidal compound being used. Such herbicides can be methoxybenzoyl chloride (0.1 mol) on N-(3,4-dichloro O used either before crop seeding or crop planting (pre phenyl)-N',N'-diethylurea (0.1 mol). planting treatment) or after crop seeding or crop planting but before crop emergence (pre-emergence treatment) or The yield obtained is 93.6% and the melting point is after crop emergence (post-emergence treatment) and be 88-92 C. fore or after weed emergence and in a general manner EXAMPLE 11 5 at the most suitable stage of growth, depending on the The N-(4-methoxybenzoyl)-N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)- problem to be overcome and the nature of the cultivated N'-methyl-N'-butylurea is produced by the reaction of 4 plants. methoxybenzoyl chloride (0.05 mol) on N-(3,4-dichloro One of the most interesting properties of the numerous phenyl)-N'-methyl-N'-butylurea (0.05 mol). substituted ureas according to the invention is the highly 20 specific character of their action on the plants. The yield obtained is 85.8% and the melting point is It will be seen from the following examples that this 84-86 C. new series of compounds is capable of destroying certain EXAMPLE 12 dicotyledonous weeds without harming cultivated dicot yledonous plants, and of destroying certain graminaceous The N-benzoyl-N-phenyl-N',N'-dimethylurea is pro 25 weeds in cultivated cereals (wheat, barley, oats, maize), duced by the reaction of benzoyl chloride (1.04 mols) on which are also graminaceous plants. N-phenyl-N',N'-dimethylurea (1.04 mols). Another important characteristic of the herbicides of The yield obtained is 53.4% and the melting point is this type is the persistence of their action. Many of them 184-185 C. are capable of preventing weed germination for several 30 weeks to several months, depending on the chemical na EXAMPLE 13 ture of the compounds and the quantity being used. The N-benzoyl - N - (4-chlorophenyl)-N',N'-dimethyl This persistence in the efficacy represents an important urea is produced by the reaction of benzoyl chloride (0.9 advantage, since it prevents in practice the appearance of mol) on N - (4-chlorophenyl)-N',N'-dimethylurea (0.9 weeds throughout the entire culture period. mol). The substituted ureas according to the invention can be used separately or in admixture, in the form of solu The yield obtained is 84.8% and the melting point is tions, of emulsions of the oil-in-water or water-in-oil 125-126 C. types, suspensions, powders or granulated materials. The solid forms are generally provided by a mixture of the The products indicated in the following Table II are 40 active substance with a solid support in powder form. examples of herbicidal products which conform to the The powders or emulsions can contain very varying pro general Formula 1 and which can be prepared by the portions of the active product, which may extend for ex process which has just been described: ample from 0.02% to 95%. The adjuvants necessary for the different types of for TABLE II mulations containing at least one substituted urea accord Nature of the substituent Nature of the Nature of.- or substituents of the substituent(s) of ing to the invention may themselves be either neutral benzoyl ring the phenyl ring R R" with respect to the plants or, on the contrary, have a toxic action in themselves, which may be an advantage, Unsubstituted.-------------- Unsubstituted.------ Methyl-- Methyl. particularly in the case of non-selective weed control.