Sulfur-substituted phenylsulfonylureas, processes for their preparation and their use as herbicides and plant growth regulators

A compound of the formula (I) or a salt thereof ##STR26## in which W is an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom,

• m is 0, 1, 2 or 3,
• n is 0, 1 or 2,
• R* is a radical of the formula --CHO, --CH.dbd.N--R or ##STR27## R is H, OH, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkenyl, (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkynyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6) alkoxy, (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkenyloxy or (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkynyloxy, where each of the last 6 radicals mentioned is unsubstituted or substituted, or is phenyl, which is unsubstituted or substituted, or acyl, amino or mono- or disubstituted amino,
• X.sup.1 is O, S, NH or --N((C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl)-›--N(alkyl)-!,
• X.sup.2 is O, S, NH or --N((C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl)-›--N(alkyl)-!,
• R' and R" independently of one another are hydrogen, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkenyl or (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkynyl, where each of the last 3 radicals mentioned is unsubstituted or substituted by alkoxy, alkylthio or halogen, or together are (C.sub.2 -C.sub.4)alkylene or (C.sub.2 -C.sub.4)alkenylene,
• R.sup.1 is hydroxyl, amino, mono- or disubstituted amino, hydroxylamino, substituted hydroxylamino, hydrazino, substituted hydrazino, a substituted or unsubstituted (C.sub.1 -C.sub.12)aliphatic hydrocarbon or hydrocarbonoxy radical or substituted or unsubstituted aryl or aryloxy from the group consisting of phenyl, naphthyl, tetrahydronaphthyl, indenyl, indanyl, pentalenyl, and fluorenyl, or substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl or heteroaryloxy from the group consisting of pyridyl, pyrimidyl, pyridazinyl, pyrazinyl, thienyl, thiazolyl, oxazolyl, furyl, pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl and imidazolyl,
• R.sup.2 is halogen, CN, NO.sub.2, amino, mono- or disubstituted amino, alkyl or alkoxy, where each of the last two radicals mentioned is unsubstituted or substituted,
• R.sup.3 is hydrogen, hydroxyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkoxy, (C.sub.2 -C.sub.4)alkenyl or (C.sub.2 -C.sub.4)alkynyl, where each of the last 4 radicals mentioned is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen,
• X and Y independently of one another are hydrogen, hydroxyl, amino, mono- or disubstituted amino, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.3 -C.sub.7)cycloalkyl, (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkenyl, (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkynyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkoxy, (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkenyloxy, (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkynyloxy, C.sub.3 -C.sub.7)cycloalkoxy or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkylthio, where each of the last 9 radicals mentioned is unsubstituted or substituted, and is CH or ##STR28## in which R.sup.o is halogen, cyano, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkoxy, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)haloalkyl or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)haloalkoxy,
• wherein heterocyclyl means a heterocyclic radical having 3 to 7 ring atoms and containing one hetero unit from the group consisting of N, O, S, SO and SO.sub.2, or a heterocyclic radical from the group consisting of pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, pyrazinyl, thiazolyl, oxazolyl, pyrazolyl, imidazolyl, dioxolanyl, morpholinyl, and piperazinyl and
• wherein substituted, if not further specified, means substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, alkylthiohyroxyl, amino, nitro, carboxyl, cyano, azido, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbonyl, formyl, carbamoyl, mono- and dialkylaminocarbonyl, acylamino, mono-, dialkylamino, alkylsulfinyl, aloalkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, haloalkysulfonyl, and in case of cyclic radicals, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkenyloxy, and alkynyloxy,
• wherein radicals with carbon atoms have 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and
• wherein acylradical means a radical of a carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid of a thiocarboxylic acid, an optionally N-substituted iminocarboxylic acid, the radical of a carbonic acid monoester, an optionally N-substituted carbamic acid, a sulfonic acid, a sulfinic acid, phosphonic acid or a phosphinic acid,
• wherein radicals with carbon atoms have 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and
• wherein substituted amino, hydroxylamino or hydrazino means amino radicals which are N-substituted by one or two identical or different radicals from the group consisting of (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkoxy, acyl and substituted or unsubstituted phenyl.