Pesticidal evaluation of novel dual-chiral N-cyano sulfiliminyl anthranilic diamides derivatives

To develop eco-friendly pesticides with novel modes of action for insect management, a series of dual-chiral N-cyano sulfilimine-substituted anthranilic diamides were designed and synthesised de novo, and their insecticidal activities were evaluated against Mythimna separata (M. separata) and Plutella xylostella (P. xylostella). Most target compounds exhibited potent insecticidal activity against M. separata. Notably, compounds 6a-b and 6f-g demonstrated near-complete inhibition at 0.1 mg/L, achieving efficacy comparable to the commercial standard chlorantraniliprole (CHL). Furthermore, 6g and 7h outperformed CHL against P. xylostella, suggesting enhanced specificity. 6g matchedCHL's efficacy against M. separata. Specific target compounds, including 6g and 7h, emerged as potential modulators of insect ryanodine receptor (RyR). Molecular docking revealed that 6g probably formed three hydrogen bonds with RyR binding pocket and exhibited stronger binding affinity than CHL (two hydrogen bonds). These findings provide a structural foundation for rational design of novel chiral sulfiliminyl RyR-targeting insecticides.