2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)-pyridines and quinolines, process and intermediates for the preparation thereof, and use of said compounds as herbicidal agents

A compound having the structure:

• ##STR280## wherein R.sub.1 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl;
• R.sub.2 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl or C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 cycloalkyl;
• and when R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are taken together with the carbon to which they are attached they may represent C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with methyl;
• R.sub.3 is hydrogen, ##STR281## C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl optionally substituted with one of of the following groups:
• C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkoxy, halogen, hydroxyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 cycloalkyl, benzyloxy, furyl, phenyl, halophenyl, loweralkylphenyl, loweralkoxyphenyl, nitrophenyl, carboxyl, loweralkoxycarbonyl, cyano or triloweralkylammonium halide;
• C.sub.3 -C.sub.12 alkenyl optionally substituted with one of the following groups:
• C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkoxy, phenyl, halogen or loweralkoxycarbonyl or with two C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkoxy groups or two halogen groups;
• C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with one or two C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkyl groups;
• C.sub.3 -C.sub.16 alkynyl;
• or,
• A cation;
• X is hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl or methyl, with the proviso that when Y and Z are taken together to form a ring and YZ is represented by the structure:
• --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --, where n is 3 or 4, X is hydrogen;
• Y and Z are each hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl, hydroxyloweralkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylthio, phenoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkyl, nitro, cyano, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylamino, diloweralkylamino or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylsulfonyl group, or phenyl optionally substituted with one C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy or halogen;
• and, when taken together, Y and Z may form a ring in which YZ are represented by the structure:
• --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --, where n is an integer of 3 or 4, provided that X is hydrogen;
• or ##STR282## where L, M, Q and R.sub.7 are each hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylthio, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylsulfonyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkyl, NO.sub.2, CN, phenyl, phenoxy, amino, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylamino, diloweralkylamino, chlorophenyl, methylphenyl, or phenoxy substituted with one Cl, CF.sub.3, NO.sub.2 or CH.sub.3 group, with the proviso that only one of L, M, Q or R.sub.7 may represent a substituent other than hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy;
• and the N-oxides thereof provided that in the N-oxidase Y and Z cannot be aklkylamino, dialkylamino or alkylthio;
• and when R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 represent different substituents, the optical isomers thereof.