Photodegradation of clothianidin and thiamethoxam in agricultural soils

Presented in this paper is a study on the photodegradation of two widely used neonicotinoid insecticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam in three soils and in solid phase. The effects of light with differing wavelengths were examined using the natural sunlight and single ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) light sources. The results indicated that UVB played a key role in the photodegradation of clothianidin and thiamethoxam while the effects of visible and UVA lights were negligible. The degradations of clothianidin and thiamethoxam under all the light sources followed the first-order kinetics, and the half-lives of clothianidin and thiamethoxam in the three soils under the sunlight ranged from 97 to 112 h and 88 to 103 h, respectively. When clothianidin and thiamethoxam were directly exposed to the sunlight without soil, the degradation rates were remarkably higher with half-lives being 13 and 10 h, respectively. Therefore, the insecticides fallen on the surface of soils would be degraded under sunlight much faster than those that enter the soils. The examination of the degradation products revealed four compounds from the photodegradation of clothianidin and three from thiamethoxam, and clothianidin was one of the photodegradation products of thiamethoxam.

Modeling photodegradation kinetics of three systemic neonicotinoids-dinotefuran, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam-in aqueous and soil environment

Environmental presence and retention of commonly used neonicotinoid insecticides such as dinotefuran (DNT), imidacloprid (IMD), and thiamethoxam (THM) are a cause for concern and prevention because of their potential toxicity to nontarget species. In the present study the kinetics of the photodegradation of these insecticides were investigated in water and soil compartments under natural light conditions. The results suggest that these insecticides are fairly unstable in both aqueous and soil environments when exposed to natural sunlight. All 3 insecticides exhibit strong first-order degradation rate kinetics in the aqueous phase, with rate constants kDNT , kIMD , and kTHM of 0.20 h(-1) , 0.30 h(-1) , and 0.18 h(-1) , respectively. However, in the soil phase, the modeled photodegradation kinetics appear to be biphasic, with optimal rate constants k1DNT and k2DNT of 0.0198 h(-1) and 0.0022 h(-1) and k1THM and k2THM of 0.0053 h(-1) and 0.0014 h(-1) , respectively. Differentially, in the soil phase, imidacloprid appears to follow the first-order rate kinetics with a kIMD of 0.0013 h(-1) . These results indicate that all 3 neonicotinoids are photodegradable, with higher degradation rates in aqueous environments relative to soil environments. In addition, soil-encapsulated imidacloprid appears to degrade slowly compared with dinotefuran and thiamethoxam and does not emulate the faster degradation rates observed in the aqueous phase. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1718-1726. © 2015 SETAC.

Degradation kinetics of a potent antifouling agent, butenolide, under various environmental conditions

Here, we investigated the degradation kinetics of butenolide, a promising antifouling compound, under various environmental conditions. The active ingredient of the commercial antifoulant SeaNine 211, 4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (DCOIT), was used as positive control. The results showed that the degradation rate increased with increasing temperature. Half-lives of butenolide at 4 °C, 25 °C and 40 °C were>64 d, 30.5 d and 3.9 d, respectively. Similar half-lives were recorded for DCOIT: >64 d at 4 °C, 27.9 d at 25 °C and 4.5d at 40 °C. Exposure to sunlight accelerated the degradation of both butenolide and DCOIT. The photolysis half-lives of butenolide and DCOIT were 5.7 d and 6.8 d, respectively, compared with 9.7 d and 14.4 d for the dark control. Biodegradation led to the fastest rate of butenolide removal from natural seawater, with a half-life of 0.5 d, while no obvious degradation was observed for DCOIT after incubation for 4 d. The biodegradative ability of natural seawater for butenolide was attributed mainly to marine bacteria. During the degradation of butenolide and DCOIT, a gradual decrease in antifouling activity was observed, as indicated by the increased settlement percentage of cypris larvae from barnacle Balanus amphitrite. Besides, increased cell growth of marine diatom Skeletonema costatum demonstrated that the toxicity of seawater decreased gradually without generation of more toxic by-products. Overall, rapid degradation of butenolide in natural seawater supported its claim as a promising candidate for commercial antifouling industry.

Photocatalytic degradation with immobilised TiO(2) of three selected neonicotinoid insecticides: imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin

This research focused on photocatalytic degradation of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin employing a tailor-made photoreactor with six polychromatic fluorescent UVA (broad maximum at 355 nm) lamps and immobilised titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) on glass slides. The disappearance was followed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD) analyses, wherein the efficiency of mineralization was monitored by measurements of total organic carbon (TOC). Within 2h of photocatalysis, all three neonicotinoids were degraded following first order kinetics with rate constants k=0.035 ± 0.001 min(-1) for imidacloprid, k=0.019 ± 0.001 min(-1) for thiamethoxam and k=0.021 ± 0.000 min(-1) for clothianidin. However, the rate of mineralization was low, i.e. 19.1 ± 0.2% for imidacloprid, 14.4 ± 2.9% for thiamethoxam and 14.1 ± 0.4% for clothianidin. This indicates that several transformation products were formed instead. Some of them were observed within HPLC-DAD analyses and structures were proposed according to the liquid chromatography-electro spray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analyses (LC-ESI-MS/MS). The formation of clothianidin, as thiamethoxam transformation product, was reported for the first time.

Microwave-assisted Synthesis of Novel Thiazolocarbazoles and Evaluation as Potential Anticancer Agents. Part III

Novel 6-substituted thiazolocarbazole derivatives have been synthesized under microwave irradiation via the corresponding imino-1,2,3-dithiazoles. In vitro antitumor potential of these polyheterocyclic compounds was evaluated. Among all the tested thiazolocarbazoles, compound 10 is the most effective in inhibiting cell growth.

Photolytic degradation of the insecticide thiamethoxam in aqueous medium monitored by direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Photodegradation of the insecticide thiamethoxam (1), 3-[(2-chloro-5-thiazolyl)methyl]tetrahydro-5-methyl-N-nitro-4H-1,3,5-oxadiazin-4-imine, in an aqueous medium was monitored by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the positive ion mode, ESI(+)-MS. An aqueous solution of (1) was incessantly exposed to a UV radiation source and aliquots were taken after reaction times of 1, 2, 3, and 4 h. Analysis by GC/NCI-MS revealed that (1) was continuously degraded under these experimental conditions. However, the total organic carbon (TOC) content remained practically constant during the exposition period, thereby indicating that 1 was not mineralized but continuously converted into other compounds. ESI(+)-MS monitoring revealed that whereas the intensity of the ions of m/z 292/294 ([1 + H](+)) constantly decreased, there was the emergence of other ions of m/z 247/249, 197, 168, and 116 whose intensities simultaneously increased. Their structures were proposed on the basis of: (1) the data of their ESI(+)-MS/MS; (2) their high resolution m/z values; and (3) a plausible reactivity of the thiamethoxam molecule exposed to UV radiation in aqueous solution. Finally, these data allowed us to suggest a reaction route for the photodegradation of 1 in an aqueous medium.

Tautomeric modification of GlcNAc-thiazoline

The potent O-GlcNAcase (OGA) inhibitor GlcNAc-thiazoline has been modified by buffer- or acylation-induced imine-to-enamine conversion and then electrophile or radical addition (Xn = D3, F, N3, OH, SMe, COCF3, CF3). Several functionalized GlcNAc-thiazolines show highly selective inhibition of OGA vs human hexosaminidase and thus have promise as tools for targeted investigations of OGA, an enzyme linked to diabetes and neurodegeneration. A new radical addition/fragmentation reaction of the N-(trifluoroacetyl)enamine has been discovered.

Thiazolo[5,4-f]quinazolin-9-ones, inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase-3

In an effort to identify new protein kinase inhibitors with increased potency and selectivity, we have developed the microwave-assisted synthesis of thiazolo[5,4-f]quinazolin-9-ones. The effects of eighteen derivatives on CDK1/cyclin B, CDK5/p25, and GSK-3 were investigated. Several turned out to inhibit GSK-3 in the micromolar range. Molecular modeling studies suggest that the most selective GSK-3 inhibitors 7a-d bind into the ATP-binding site through a key hydrogen bond interaction with Val135 and target the specific hydrophobic backpocket of the enzyme.

Efficient microwave enhanced regioselective synthesis of a series of benzimidazolyl/triazolyl spiro [indole-thiazolidinones] as potent antifungal agents and crystal structure of spiro[3H-indole-3,2′-thiazolidine]-3′(1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)-2,4′(1H)-dione

A microwave-assisted three-component, regioselective one-pot cyclocondensation method has been developed for the synthesis of a series of novel spiro[indole-thiazolidinones] (6a-l) using an environmentally benign procedure at atmospheric pressure in open vessel. This rapid method produces pure products in high yields within few minutes in comparison to a conventional two-step procedure. The crystal structure of one representative compound has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The synthesized compounds have been screened 'in vitro' for antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum and Collectotrichum capsici. All compounds have shown good activity against these pathogens.

Simulation of mefenacet concentrations in paddy fields by an improved PCPF-1 model

An improved simulation model (PCPF-1) has been evaluated for the prediction of the fate of mefenacet in an experimental paddy field. This model simulates the fate and transport of pesticide in paddy water and the top 1 cm of paddy soil. Observed concentrations of mefenacet in the paddy water and the surface soil exponentially decreased from their maximum concentrations of 0.70 mg litre(-1) and 11.3 mg kg(-1), respectively. Predicted mefenacet concentrations both in the water and surface soil were in excellent agreement with those measured during the first 2 weeks after herbicide application, but concentrations in paddy water were appreciably overestimated thereafter. The model simulated mefenacet losses through runoff, percolation and degradation to be respectively 41.9%, 6.4% and 57.3% of applied, and the mass balance error was about -6%. The model simulation implied that drainage and seepage control, especially shortly after application when herbicide concentrations are high, is essential for preventing pesticide losses from paddy fields. In focusing on pesticide concentrations in this early period the PCPF-1 model can be a beneficial tool for risk assessment of pesticide losses and in the evaluation of agricultural management for reducing pesticide pollution associated with paddy rice production.

Three- and four-photon absorption of a multiphoton absorbing fluorescent probe

High-order multiphoton excitation processes are becoming a reality for fluorescence imaging and phototherapy treatment because they afford minimization of scattered light losses and a reduction of unwanted linear absorption in the living organism transparency window, making them less susceptible to photodamage, while improving the irradiation penetration depth and spatial resolution. We report the four-photon-excited fluorescence emission of (7-benzothiazol-2-yl-9,-didecylfluoren-2-yl)diphenylamine in hexane and its four-photon absorption cross section sigma4' = 8.1 x 10(-109) cm8 s3 photon(-3) for the transition S0 --> S1 when excited at 1600 nm with a tunable optical parametric generator (OPG) pumped by picosecond laser pulses. When pumped at 1200 nm, three-photon absorption was observed, corresponding to the same transition.

Photoactivation enhances the mitochondrial toxicity of the cationic rhodacyanine MKT-077

In this study, the mitochondrial phototoxicity of the cationic rhodacyanine MKT-077 was investigated by comparing its effects on the inhibition of mitochondrial respiration and the structural integrity of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the presence and absence of added high-intensity visible light (7.5 J/cm2). Results indicate that photoirradiation significantly enhances the mitochondrial toxicity of MKT-077 at both the biochemical and DNA levels. For example, the concentration of MKT-077 required to achieve one-half maximal inhibition of ADP-stimulated respiration was observed to be 6-fold lower in the presence versus absence of high-intensity light (one-half maximal inhibition at 2.5 versus 15 microg MKT-077/ mg, respectively). In addition, photoirradiation produced a 25-fold increase in inhibition of succinate-cytochrome c reductase activity by MKT-077 (one-half maximal inhibition at 2 versus 50 microg MKT-077/ml, +/-light, respectively) and a 6-fold increase in inhibition of cytochrome oxidase activity (one-half maximal inhibition at 5 versus 30 microg MKT-077/ml, +/-light, respectively). Furthermore, the combination of 25 microg/ml MKT-077 and 7.5 J/cm2 visible light caused significant degradation of mtDNA in isolated rat liver mitochondria, whereas the same concentration of dye in the absence of light had only a modest effect on mtDNA. Evaluation of light-induced MKT-077 lipid peroxidation in mitochondrial membrane fragments by the thiobarbituric acid test and by measurement of nonrespiratory-linked oxygen uptake suggests that mitochondrial phototoxicity by MKT-077 may be the result of lipid peroxidation via reactive oxygen species. These results have important implications with regard to the potential use of MKT-077 in photochemotherapy.

Photooxidation of troglitazone, a new antidiabetic drug

Troglitazone (CS-045) is a new oral antidiabetic drug reported to be effective in insulin-resistant diabetes and to show antihypertensive effects. Photooxidation of troglitazone gave the quinone and quinone epoxide as the major final stable products. An intermediate observed by NMR spectroscopy was shown to be the hydroperoxydienone, which is moderately stable at room temperature. The rate constant of singlet oxygen quenching by troglitazone is 2.14 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) and the reaction rate constant in acetone-d6 is 8.64 X 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). Only the chroman ring of troglitazone reacts with and quenches singlet oxygen significantly, and its reactivity and products are analogous to those of alpha-tocopherol. The reactivity of CS-45 toward singlet oxygen is much larger than that of the related compounds lacking the chroman ring.

New features in the photophysics and photochemistry of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazoles introduced by amine substitution

The photophysics and photochemistry of the 4'-diethylamino derivative of both 2-phenyl-benzothiazole and 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole have been studied by nanosecond and microsecond laser flash photolysis and picosecond emission spectroscopy. For the non-hydroxy substituted molecule, the singlet excited state was shown to relax primarily via fluorescence emission, and a very weak triplet transient was observed after laser flash excitation. The 2-(2'-hydroxy-4'-diethylaminophenyl)benzothiazole (AHBT) was shown to undergo excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in the picosecond timescale (k greater than 3 x 10(10) s-1) to form a colored zwitter-ion/keto form in solution at room temperature while the ground state back proton transfer was slower by a factor of approximately 10(5). However, in marked contrast with other derivatives of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole and related molecules, the ESIPT was not the only deactivation process of the lowest singlet excited state of the enol form. Under steady-state excitation at room temperature (and low temperature), the fluorescence emission of the enol form was observed. The T-T absorption of the enol form was also observed and furthermore, the ESIPT was shown to have an activation energy which was estimated to be approximately 4 kJ. None of the foregoing, fluorescence and T-T absorption of the enol nor activation energy for proton transfer have been observed for the parent or derivatives of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazoles. The striking new features for the ESIPT photochemistry and photophysics for the 4'-diethylamino derivative of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole are discussed and MO calculations are used to aid in the interpretation of some of the experimental results.