Design, synthesis, antifungal activity, and 3D-QSAR of coumarin derivatives.

In our research, a series of 8-substituted coumarin derivatives were synthesized, and their structures were confirmed by FT-IR, H-NMR, and MS (or HRMS). In activity screening, the synthesized compounds exhibited potent antifungal activity against 4 phytopathogenic fungi: , , , and . Notably, 8-chloro coumarin and ethyl 8-chloro-coumarin3-carboxylate showed the strongest fungus inhibition with EC of 0.085 and 0.078 mmol/L against . Furthermore, 3D-QSAR models (CoMFA and CoMSIA) of the title compounds against were established on the basis of their antifungal activities. The results indicated that the appropriate small, hydrophilic and electron-withdrawing groups on coumarin's C-3 and C-8, respectively, could enhance the antifungal activity. The information obtained will be very helpful for designing new derivatives with high antifungal activities.