Carboxylic Acid Derivatives in Herbicide Development.

Carboxylic acids and their derivatives are extensively found in natural and non-natural compounds with proven bioactivities. They have made great contributions to the development of herbicides and herbicidal lead structures in the past 70 years. Carboxylic acid-related herbicidal molecules have targeted a diversity of biosynthetic pathways, proteins, enzymes, energetic metabolism systems, and other reaction sites through different mechanisms. It is significant and helpful for us to know the herbicidal targets and mechanisms of the carboxylic acid-related herbicides as well as the basic rules for the design and development of herbicidal lead structures. We therefore summarize here the overall development of carboxyl group-containing herbicides and herbicidal molecules in the past 20 years based on their structural properties and herbicidal mechanisms.