Empenthrin

Химические свойства

Empenthrin is a light yellow and oily liquid with a boiling point of 346°C and a flash point of 144°C. Its density is 0.999 g.cm^–3 at 20°C. The refractive index of empenthrin is 1.5270 at 20°C. It has low acute mammalian toxicity (its oral LD50 is >5,000 mg.kg^–1 in male rats, >3,500 mg.kg^–1 in female rats and >3,500 mg.kg^–1 in mice). It is, however, very toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms.

Использование

Empenthrin is used as a domestic insecticide, especially against moths and other insects which attack fabrics.

Метаболический путь

Empenthrin is a low molecular weight ester of (1R)-chrysanthemic acid (2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)cyclopropanecarboxylic acid). It has a relatively high vapour pressure and, unlike most pyrethroids, it is effective against flying insects. The molecule has three chiral centres and geometric isomerism in the alcohol group but, with the exception of the 1R acid, the full isomer mixture is used. As the insecticide has been developed for domestic use, it is unlikely that there will be a requirement for metabolism studies in plants or for extensive environmental fate studies. Its metabolism in rats has been reported, with particular attention paid to the fate of the novel alcohol moiety. As with other pyrethroids, ester cleavage and oxidation and conjugation of the alcohol metabolite predominated. The fate of the chrysanthemic acids can be assessed by reference to phenothrin.