Baygon agents
How the various groups of agents function in the Baygon products
Carbamates The carbamates are salts and esters of carbamic (amidocarbonic) acid.
Propoxur was developed from the carbamate group of agents, and has besides a broad-spectrum action a very good residual efficacy on numerous household and hygiene pests. It has been successfully used for around thirty years to combat pests.
Biological features
Propoxur is primarily an active agent which acts through contact and intake, and has a specially long-lasting effect. When selectively applied it flushes insects out of their hiding places, so that they are exposed to the insecticide. In addition it has a good action on insects resistant to organo-chlorides and phosphoric acid esters.
The active ingredient's chemical and physical properties
| Chemical name | 2-isopropoxy-phenyl-N-methylcarbamate
2-(1-methylethoxy)-phenylmethylcarbamate (C.A.) | | Common name | Propoxur | | Structural formula |  | | Empirical formula | C11H15NO3 | | Appearance | Colourless crystals | | Molar mass | 209.2 g/mol | | Melting point | 90.7 % (pure agent) | | Vapour pressure | < 105 mbar at 20 °C | | Solubility
(g/1000 ml solvent at 20 °C) | Water 1.9
n-hexane 1 - 10
Methylene chloride >1000
Isopropanol 100 - 1000
Toluene 100 - 1000 | | Stability | In alkaline conditions subject to hydrolysis. Half-lives in aqueous solution at 20 °C: pH 10.8 = 40'; pH 11.8 = 11.5'; pH 12.8 = 1'
The agent dissolved in water at pH 7 breaks down at a rate of about 1.5 % per day. |
Pyrethroids
Pyrethroids are synthetic ester compounds, that is compounds of acids and alcohols derived from the natural pyrethrum extract. They belong to the most modern class of agent and have been subjected to the most thorough toxicological tests. Their advantage is high effectiveness against a wide spectrum of pests. Scientists agree that currently there is no other agent with a comparable effect on pests, particularly the carriers of diseases, at such low concentrations. The pyrethroids have highly specific effects on insects' nerve cells, so that only a very small quantity is needed to produce the required effect. Their action on warm-blooded creatures is 1,000 to 10,000 times weaker than on insects. This selectivity is attributable to the fact that the design and functioning of the nervous system and metabolism of warm-blooded animals - that is mammals including humans - and insects are completely different. The active ingredient Cyfluthrin has been in successful use for combating pests for about 15 years.
Biological properties Cyfluthrin is a highly effective insecticide in the pyrethroid group. It acts mainly as a contact poison, but also has a good oral effect. It has both a good knock-down effect, and a long-lasting (residual) effect even at low quantities. Cyfluthrin has a broad spectrum of efficacy, and is highly suitable for combating numerous domestic (household), storage and hygiene pests and nuisance insects. It acts both on the sensitive strains and those resistant to p-ester and carbamates.
The agent's chemical and physical properties
The technical agent is a mixture of four diastereo-isomeric enantiomer pairs.
| Chemical name | 2,2-dimethyl-3-dichlorovinyl-cis /transcyclopropane carbonic acid - alpha-cyano - 3'-phenoxy - 4'-fluorobenzyl ester; cyano (4-fluoro-3-phenoxyphenyl) methyl3 - (2,2-dichloroethenyl) - 2,2 - dimethylcyclo - propane carboxylate (C.A. 68359-37-5) | | Common name | Cyfluthrin (proposed) | | Structural formula |  | | Empirical formular | C22H18Cl2F N O3 | | Molar mass | 434.3 g/mol | | Appearance | Yellow-brown mass of oily to pasty consistency, above 60 °C a clear yellow-brown oil | | Density | 1.27 - 1.28 g/cm³ (under-cooled melt) | | Vapour pressure | Enantiomer pair I-IV < 10-5 mbar (20 °C) | | Melting point | | Enantiomer pair | I
64 °C | II
81 °C | | | III
65 °C | IV
106 °C | | | Solubility
(g/1000 ml solvent at 20 °C) | | Enantiomer pair | I | II | | Water | 2x10-6 | 2x10-6 | | Dichloromethane | >1000 | >1000 | | n-hexane | 10-20 | 10-20 | | 2-propanol | 10-100 | 1-10 | | Toluene | >1000 | 100-1000 |
| Enantiomer pair | III | IV | | Water | 2x10-6 | 2x10-6 | | Dichloromethane | >1000 | >1000 | | n-hexane | 10-20 | 1-5 | | 2-propanol | 10-100 | 1-10 | | Toluene | 100-1000 | 100-1000 | |
The latest pyrethroid agent developed for Baygon is called Transfluthrin
Transfluthrin is one of the best-tested insecticidal agents, and has been incorporated in Baygon products against flying insects since 1996. In regard to its structure, toxicology and principle of action on insects' nerves, Transfluthrin is regarded as one of the fast-acting pyrethroids with low persistency. Biological properties Transfluthrin is highly selective. Low quantities are exceptionally powerful against hygiene, health and material pests in the indoor environment. The excellent knock-down action of Transfluthrin at an extremely low concentration permits its use especially in products to combat flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches. In products against crawling insects Transfluthrin shows a flushing and knock-down effect. It is a relatively volatile substance and acts principally as a contact and inhalation agent. It does not have a residual effect. The agent's chemical and physical properties
| Chemical name | (1R-trans)-(2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl)-methylester 3 - (2,2-dichloroethenyl) -2,2 - dimethyl - cyclopropane carboxylic acid | | Common name | Transfluthrin (proposed) | | Structural formula |  | | Empirical formula | C15H12Cl2F4O2 | | Appearance | Colourless crystals | | Molar mass | 371.2 g/mol | | Melting point | 32 °C | | Density | 1.5072 g/cm³ at 23 °C | | Boiling point | 135 °C / 0.1 mm
approx. 250 °C / 760 mm | | Vapour pressure | 4.0 · 10-6 hPA at 20 °C | | Breakdown
(without stabiliser) | >Short term; 250 °C
>5 h at 200 °C; 120 h at 120 °C | | Specific rotation | [alpha]D29 = +15.3 °C
(c = 0.5 CHCL3) | | Lipophilia as log Pow | 5.46 at 20 °C | | Hydrolysis half-lives at 25 °C | pH5 > 1 year; pH 7 > 1 year; pH9 14 days | | GC retention index | 1892 | | HPLC retention index | 1192 | | Solubility
(g/1000 ml solvent at 20 °C) | Water 5.7 · 10-5
Hexane >200
Isopropanol >200
Toluene >200
Dichloromethane >200 |
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