Carbonyl-bridged trifluoromethyl pyridine derivatives for pest control and mechanistic investigations

Abstract

Trifluoromethyl pyridine (TFMP) motif is commonly discovered in structures of active pharmaceuticals. Flonicamid, characterized by the TFMP moiety, is well known as a prodrug in the knockdown of pests. The azobenzene-modified TFMP derivatives have been previously reported with excellent insecticidal activities. Herein, twenty-one TFMP derivatives were designed by the introduction of carbonyl-bridged aryl groups and synthesized via a one-step synthesis using Flonicamid as the starting material. The structure-activity relationships of these compounds were well analyzed and discussed. A molecular docking study and calcium ion concentration analysis indicated that compound FC13 could have interacted with the nicotinamidase enzyme, which further influenced the Ca²⁺ influx.