Abstract: | A new class of insecticides and acaricides containing N-(α-substituted phenoxybenzyl)-4-pyrimidinamines as core structure were synthesized and their insecticidal and acaricidal potencies assessed. Among these, both the N-(3 or 4-phenoxybenzyl)-4-pyrimidinamine showed remarkable activity against diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., brown rice planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stal) and two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch. The potency of the new pyrimidinamines was particularly increased when a methyl, ethyl, iso-propyl, or cyclopropyl group was introduced at the α-position of benzyl moiety and it was evident that a single (+) optical isomer is more active than its antipode. Structure-activity relationships are discussed. |