Derivatives of alphaphenylacrylic acid and their use in agriculture

Abstract

Compounds of formula: ##STR1## and stereoisomers thereof, wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, which are the same or different, are optionally substituted alkyl; W, X, Y and Z, which are the same or different, are hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted aryloxyalkyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted amino, optionally substituted arylazo, optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryloxyalkyl, optionally substituted acylamino, nitro, cyano, --OR.sup.3, --SR.sup.3, --CO.sub.2 R.sup.4, --CONR.sup.5 R.sup.6, --COR.sup.7, --CR.sup.8 .dbd.NR.sup.9, --N.dbd.CR.sup.10 R.sup.11, --SOR.sup.12 or --SO.sub.2 R.sup.13, or any two of W, X, Y, and Z, in adjacent positions on the phenyl ring, optionally join to form an optionally substituted fused ring, either aromatic or aliphatic, optionally containing one or more heteroatoms; R.sup.3 is optionally substituted alkyl, or cycloalkyl optionally containing a hetero atom in the cycloalkyl ring, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted acyl, or optionally substituted heteroaryl; R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.10 and R.sup.11, which are the same or different, are hydrogen or optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, or optionally substituted aralkyl; and R.sup.9, R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 are optionally substituted aryl or optionally substituted heteroaryl. The compounds are useful in agriculture as fungicides, plant growth regulators and insecticides.