Application of the Intermediate Derivatization Approach in Agrochemical Discovery

The IDM approach to agrochemical discovery may be considered to fit between the conventional methods used in agrochemical discovery and the recent novel methods reported in the pharmaceutical field. The basic idea behind IDM is to apply a wide variety of synthetic methodology on key intermediates resulting in an efficient route to innovative chemical structures, which, in conjunction with biological screening, become patentable leads or target compounds. The key to the success of this method is to apply new chemical reactions or new synthesis routes to obtain novel structures that are totally different from previously known agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, or natural products. These newly synthesized compounds can be screened and each optimized to obtain new lead compounds, ultimately leading to the discovery of new agrochemicals. In contrast with the conventional methods described previously, CIM is mainly based on suitably functionalized and commercially available chemical intermediates rather than based on random design.