Synthesis and biological potency of anilino-triazine insecticides.

Background: An insecticide screening effort identified N-(4-bromophenyl)-4,6-bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)-1,3,5-triazine-2-amine as having weak potency against two lepidopteran species, Helicoverpa zea and Spodoptera exigua. A structure-activity relationship study about the trifluoroethoxy substituents and the aniline of this compound was carried out in an effort to improve insecticidal potency.

Results: Initially, a series of analogs bearing various substituents on the aniline were prepared, and the insecticidal potency was evaluated against H.