A series of arylfluorosulfates were synthesized as fungicide candidates through a highly efficient sulfur fluoride exchange (SuFEx) reaction. A total of 32 arylfluorosulfate derivatives with simple structures have been synthesized, and most of them exhibited fungal activities in vitro against five agricultural pathogens (Rhizoctonia solani, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, Pyricularia oryzae, and Phytophthora infestans). Among the target compounds, compound 31 exhibited great antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani (EC50 = 1.51 μg/mL), which was comparable to commercial fungicides carbendazim and thiabendazole (EC50 = 0.53 and 0.70 μg/mL, respectively); compounds 17 and 30 exhibited antifungal activities against Pyricularia oryzae (EC50 = 1.64 and 1.73 μg/mL, respectively) comparable to carbendazim (EC50 = 1.02 μg/mL). The in vitro antifungal effect of compound 31 was also evaluated on rice plants against Rhizoctonia solani. Significant preventive and curative efficacies were observed (89.2% and 91.8%, respectively, at 200 μg/mL), exceeding that of thiabendazole. Primary study on the mechanism of action indicated that compound 31 could suppress the sclerotia formation of Rhizoctonia solani even at a very low concentration (1.00 μg/mL), destroy the cell membrane and mitochondria, trigger the release of cellular contents, produce excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), and suppress the activity of several related enzymes. This work could bring new insights into the development of arylfluorosulfates as novel fungicides.
Keywords: Rhizoctonia solani; SuFEx reaction; antifungal activity; arylfluorosulfates; plant disease control.