Pesticidally active salts and compositions containing them and processes for their manufacture and use

Claim 2

A pesticidal composition comprising one or more compounds of the formula I, in which Ra is a group R 2 or - OR 2 E is oxygen or sulphur, Rm is -O⊖M⊕ or -NRyRz, M⊕ is one equivalent of an agriculturally acceptable cation, R 1 and R 2 , which may be the same or different, each represent hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or aryl; the alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or aryl optionally being substituted by one or more of halogen, alkoxy, nitro, alkyl, -CF 3 , nitrile or carboxylic acid or a salt, ester or amide thereof, and Ry and Rz, which may be the same or different, each represent hydrogen or alkyl, or an agriculturally acceptable derivative thereof.

Claim 3

A compound of formula I as defined in Claim 1, and agriculturally acceptable derivatives thereof, with the proviso that when R 1 is methyl and Ra is methoxy then M⊕ is other than sodium.

Claim 4

A compound according to Claim 2, wherein Rm is -O⊖M⊕.

Claim 5

A compound according to Claim 2, wherein M⊕ is sodium.

Claim 6

A compound according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein Ra is hydrogen or methyl.

Claim 7

A compound according to any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein R 1 , R 2 , Ry and Rz each contain un to 10 carbon atoms.

Claim 8

A compound according to Claim 2, wherein R 1 ' is hydrogen, alkyl C 1 to 3, or -CH 2 CH 2 COOH or a salt or C 1 to 6 alkyl ester thereof, Ra is hydrogen, alkyl C 1 to 6, phenyl, hydroxy or alkoxy C 1 to 6 and M⊕ is sodium or lithium.

Claim 9

A compound according to Claim 2, wherein R 1 is methyl or -CH 2 CH 2 COOH or a salt or C 1 to 6 alkyl ester thereof, Ra is methyl and M⊕ is sodium.

Claim 10

A compound according to Claim 2, wherein the agriculturally acceptable derivative is of formula Ia, in which R 1 , E, Ra and Rm are as defined in Claim 1, X and Z, which may be the same or different, each represent oxygen, sulphur or a group -NR 5 -, R 5 represents hydrogen, alkyl, or aryl, R 3 and R 4 , which may be the same or different each represent alkyl, or aryl each or which may optionally be substituted by hydroxy, alkoxy, alkyl, halogen, carbonyl oxygen or alkoxycarbonyl; or R 3 and R 4 together form alkylene, or arylene each of which may optionally be substituted by hydroxy, alkoxy, alkyl, halogen, carbonyl oxygen or alkoxycarbonyl, or XR 3 and ZR 4 together form =C(CN) 2 or =NR 10 in which R 10 represents alkoxy C 1 to 6, benzyloxy, hydroxy, phenyl, -NH phenyl, -NH-(2,4-dinitrophenyl), -NHCONH 2 or -NHCSNH 2 , or one of XR 3 and ZR 4 is -OH (or esters or ethers thereof) and the other is -CN or -SO 3 ⊖M⊕.

Claim 11

A compound according to Claim 2, wherein the agriculturally acceptable derivative is of formula Ib, in which Ra, E, Ry, Rz and Rm are as defined in Claim 1, Q represents a group -OR 6 or S(O) n R 7 , n is 0, 1 or 2, R 6 is alkyl or acyl, and R 7 is alkyl or aryl..

Claim 12

Sodium acetylmethylphosphinate.

Claim 13

Sodium acetylmethylphosphinate.

Claim 14

Sodium (1,1-dimethoxyethyl)methylphosphinate.

Claim 15

Sodium (1,1-dimethoxyethyl)methylphosphinate.

Claim 16

A process for the production of a compound of formula I as defined in Claim 1, or an agriculturally acceptable derivative thereof, which comprises (a) producing a compound of formula I, or an agriculturally acceptable derivative thereof, in which Rm is -O⊖M⊕ by reacting a compound of formula II, or a suitable derivative thereof, in which R 1 , Ra and E are as defined and Rb is alkyl, with a compound of formula III, in which M is as defined above and Y is an anion, or (b) producing a compound of formula I, or an agriculturally acceptable derivative thereof, in which Ra is -OH, by replacing with hydrogen a group Rb in a compound of formula IV, or a suitable derivative thereof, in which R 1 , Rb, E and M are as defined in Claim 1, (c) producing a compound of formula I, or an agriculturally acceptable derivative thereof, in which R1 or R 2 represents alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or aryl substituted by a carboxylic acid group, by selective cleavage of a corresponding compound of formula I, or a suitable derivative thereof, in which R1 or R 2 represents alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or aryl substituted by nitrile, a carboxylic acid ester or amide. (d) producing a compound of formula I, or an agriculturally acceptable derivative thereof, in which Rm is -NRyRz by reacting a compound of formula VIII, or a suitable derivative thereof, in which R 1 , E and Ra are as defined in Claim 1, and Hal represents halogen, with an amine HNRyRz, or (e) converting a compound of formula I to an agriculturally acceptable derivative thereof, or vice versa, or converting one agriculturally acceptable derivative of a compound of formula I to another.

Claim 17

A method of combatting pests at a locus either infested with pests or liable to infestation therewith, which method comprises applying to the locus a pesticidally effective amount of one or more compounds of formula I, as defined in Claim 1, or of an agriculturally acceptable derivative thereof.