SYNTHESIS AND FUNGICIDAL ACTIVITIES OF POLYMERIC BIOCIDES .1. TBZ-CONTAINING MONOMER AND POLYMERS

The fungicidal monomer, N-acryloyl-2-(4'-thiazolyl)benzimidazole (AcTB Z) was synthesized from 2-(4'-thiazolyl)benzimidazole (TBZ) and acrylo yl chloride in the presence of triethylamine in dry benzene at 30-degr ees-C. rhe synthesized ACTBZ was identified by IR and H-1-NMR spectra. The homopolymers of AcTBZ were obtained using BPO as a thermal initia tor in benzene under different experimental conditions such as various initiator concentrations or polymerization temperatures. The homopoly mer of AcTBZ was also prepared using benzophenone as a photo initiator in DMF at 20-degrees-C. The average molecular weights (Mw) of those p oly(AcTBZ)s obtained were very low, being in the order of ca. 10(3). C o-polymer of AcTBZ and acrylic acid (AA) was synthesized with thermal or photo initiators. Poly(AcTBZ) and poly(AcTBZ-co-AA) were identified by IR and H-1-NMR spectra. The fungicidal activities of AcTBZ, poly(A cTBZ), and poly(AcTBZ-co-AA) were studied using agar dish test. The fu ngicidal activities of AcTBZ and its polymers as well as TBZ against A spergillus niger and Chaetomium globusum were very excellent compared to those of control polymers such as poly(AA) and poly(ethylene-co-vin yl acetate . The fungicidal activities were decreased in the order TBZ > AcTBZ > poly (AcTBZ) > poly (AcTBZ- co-AA) against both Aspergillus niger and Chaetomium globusum. The fungicidal activities of TBZ, and the synthesized AcTBZ and polymers containing AcTBZ were better agains t Chaetomium globusum than against Aspergillus niger. (C) 1994 John Wi ley & Sons, Inc.