Halogenzimidazoles and their use as microbicides

A halogenobenzimidazole of the formula

• in which
• R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently of one another represent hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, cyano, nitro, straight-chain or branched alkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, straight-chain or branched halogenoalkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and 1 to 13 identical or different halogen atoms, straight-chain or branched alkoxy having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, straight-chain or branched halogenoalkoxy having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and 1 to 13 identical or different halogen atoms, straight-chain or branched alkylthio having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, straight-chain or branched halogenoalkylthio having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and 1 to 13 identical or different halogen atoms, straight-chain or branched alkylsulphinyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, straight-chain or branched halogenoalkylsulphinyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and 1 to 13 identical or different halogen atoms, straight-chain or branched alkylsulphonyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, straight-chain or branched halogenoalkylsulphonyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and 1 to 13 identical or different halogen atoms, cycloalkyl having 3 to 6 carbon atoms which is optionally monosubstituted to pentasubstituted by identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen and alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or represent hydroxycarbonyl, alkylcarbonyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the straight-chain or branched alkyl moiety, alkoxycarbonyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the straight-chain or branched alkoxy moiety, cycloalkylcarbonyl having 3 to 6 carbon atoms in the cycloalkyl moiety, cycloalkoxycarbonyl having 3 to 6 carbon atoms in the cycloalkyl moiety, or represent —Z—R5,
• wherein
• R5 represents aryl having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, it being possible for each of these radicals to be monosubstituted to trisubstituted by identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, cyano, nitro, alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkylthio having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, halogenoalkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and 1 to 5 identical or different halogen atoms, halogenoalkoxy having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and 1 to 5 identical or different halogen atoms, halogenoalkylthio having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and 1 to 5 identical or different halogen atoms, alkylsulphinyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkylsulphonyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, halogenoalkylsulphinyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and 1 to 5 identical or different halogen atoms and halogenoalkylsulphonyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and 1 to 5 identical or different halogen atoms,
• or
• Z represents a direct bond, and —CH2—, O, S, SO, SO2, or CO, or represents —CO—O—, the oxygen atom being bonded to R5, or represents —SO2—O—, the sulphur atom being bonded to R5, or represents —S—CH2—SO2—, the sulphur atom of the thio group being bonded to R5,
• or
• R1 and R2, or R2 and R3, or R3 and R4 in each case together also represent an alkylene chain having 3 or 4 members in which one or two (non-adjacent) carbon atoms can be replaced by oxygen atoms and which is optionally monosubstituted to hexasubstituted by halogen, alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or halogenoalkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and 1 to 9 halogen atoms,
• X represents fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine,
• and
• A represents the group —SO2—R8, wherein
• R8 represents thienyl, it being possible for this radical to be monosubstituted to trisubstituted by identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, cyano, nitro, amino, hydroxyl, formyl, carboxyl, carbamoyl, thiocarbamoyl, methyl, ethyl, n- or i-propyl, n-, i-, s- or t-butyl, methoxy, ethoxy, n- or i-propoxy, methylthio, ethylthio, n- or i-propylthio, methylsulphinyl, ethylsulphinyl, methylsulphonyl, ethylsulphonyl, trifluoromethyl, difluoromethoxy, trifluoromethoxy, difluoromethylthio, trifluoromethylthio, trifluoromethylsulphinyl, trifluoromethylsulphonyl, methylamino, ethylamino, n- or i-propylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, acetyl, propinonyl, acetyloxy, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, methylsulphonyloxy, ethylsulphonyloxy, hydroxyiminomethyl, hydroxyiminoethyl, methoxyiminomethyl, ethoxyiminomethyl, methoxyiminoethyl and ethoxyiminoethyl,
• or an addition product thereof with an acid or a metal salt.