An efficient synthesis method targeted to a novel aziridine derivative of p-menthane from turpentine and its herbicidal activity.

A novel aziridine compound N-acetyl-1,2-azacyclo-p-menthane d was synthesised using turpentine as raw material and characterised by FT-IR, H NMR, C NMR, ESI-MS and HRMS. The pre-emergence herbicidal activities of d and its synthetic intermediates cis- and trans-N,N'-diacetyl-p-menthane-1,8-diamine (b2 and b1) were determined. The result showed that d exhibited much higher herbicidal activities against annual ryegrass, Digitaria sanguinalis and Ixeris denticulate than b2 and b1. The IC of d against the root and shoot growth of these three plants were lower than 1 mmol L. In contrast, the IC of b1 and b2 against the root and shoot growth of these plants were more than 10 mmol L.