Chemical Modification of the Insecticidal Briantheins X and Y

Manipulation of the allylic chloride functionality in briantheins X and Y provided 10 new analogues of these gorgonian diterpenes its part of a continuing Study of structure-acitivity relationships in this family of insecticidal compounds. Modified Finkelstein reaction conditions led not only to halogen substitution products but also to rearrangement dehydrohalogenation, and dehydration products. None of the new compounds showed superior insecticidal activity to brianthein X or Y, although most did result in lower weight gains versus controls.