Design, synthesis, and bioactivity investigation of a Series of Nitrile-Benzimidazole based derivatives as dual Urease Inhibitor and Soil-Borne Fungicide

Management of soil borne fungal diseases mainly relies on the use of imported fungicides. Cultural practices and biological control are sometimes used, but their efficacy is limited. The overall objective of this study is to develop fungicides selective for one or few of the most common fungal pathogens of vegetables. This will help produce fungicides with high efficacy under Omani conditions and will help train local Omani students and staff on how to develop such fungicides. Herein, we designed a series of benzimidazole-based compounds containing nitrile moiety as dual urease inhibitor and antifungal agents. The library of the synthesized compounds will be screened on different soil-borne fungal strains as antifungal agents as well as tested against the urease enzyme as urease inhibitors.