This presentation will reveal the journey behind the discovery of PLINAZOLIN® technology, a broad-spectrum insecticide launched by Syngenta in 2021, from the perspective of a research chemist working within a multidisciplinary team. The discovery approach utilized multi-parameter optimization across various chemical classes, aiming to balance efficacy, reliability, safety, and sustainability - key considerations in modern crop protection.

The project enabled chemists to investigate novel chemical classes and develop efficient routes to agrochemical leads. Several innovative methodologies were developed for the synthesis of key heterocycles, which will be discussed in this presentation.
The talk will highlight the collaborative nature of the research, the challenges encountered, and the solutions devised during the research phase of this new crop protection technology.