Use of dithiine-tetracarboximides for controlling phytopathogenic fungi

1. A method of controlling phytopathogenic fungi, comprising applying a composition comprising at least one compound of formula (I)

in which

R 1 and R 2 are identical or different and represent hydrogen; C 1 -C 8 -alkyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by halogen, —OR 3 , or —COR 4 ; C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, or C 1 -C 4 -haloalkyl; or aryl or aryl-(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl), each of which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -haloalkyl, —COR 4 , or sulphonylamino,

R 3 represents hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkylcarbonyl, or represents aryl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, or C 1 -C 4 -haloalkyl,

R 4 represents hydroxyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, or C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, and

n represents 0 or 1.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein

R 1 and R 2 are identical or different and represent hydrogen; C 1 -C 6 -alkyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by fluorine, chlorine, bromine, —OR 3 , or —COR 4 ; C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by chlorine, methyl, or trifluoromethyl; or phenyl or phenyl-(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl), each of which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by fluorine, chlorine, bromine, methyl, trifluoromethyl, —COR 4 , or sulphonylamino,

R 3 represents hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, methylcarbonyl, ethylcarbonyl, or represents phenyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by fluorine, chlorine, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, or trifluoromethyl,

R 4 represents hydroxyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, or ethoxy, and

n represents 0 or 1.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein

R 1 and R 2 are identical or different and represent hydrogen; C 1 -C 4 -alkyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by fluorine, chlorine, hydroxyl, methoxy, ethoxy, methylcarbonyloxy, or carboxyl; C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by chlorine, methyl, or trifluoromethyl; or phenyl, benzyl, 1-phenethyl, 2-phenethyl, or 2-methyl-2-phenethyl, each of which is optionally monosubstituted to trisubstituted by fluorine, chlorine, bromine, methyl, trifluoromethyl, —COR 4 , or sulphonylamino,

R 3 represents hydrogen, methyl, methylcarbonyl, or phenyl,

R 4 represents hydroxyl, or methoxy, and

n represents 0 or 1.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 and R 2 simultaneously represent methyl.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compound of formula (I) is applied to the fungi, their environment, or a combination thereof.

6. A compound of formula (I-a)

in which

R 1a and R 2a are identical or different and represent C 1 -C 8 -alkyl which is monosubstituted or polysubstituted by fluorine, —OR 3a , or —COR 4a ; C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, or C 1 -C 4 -haloalkyl; or aryl-(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl) which is monosubstituted in the alkyl moiety by —COR 4a ,

R 3a represents C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkylcarbonyl, or represents aryl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, or C 1 -C 4 -haloalkyl,

R 4a represents hydroxyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, or C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, and

r represents 0 or 1,

with the proviso that R 1a and R 2a do not simultaneously represent acetoxymethyl or methoxymethyl.

7. The compound of claim 6 , wherein

R 1a and R 2a are identical or different and represent C 1 -C 6 -alkyl which is monosubstituted or polysubstituted by fluorine, —OR 3a , or —COR 4 ; C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by chlorine, methyl, or trifluoromethyl; or phenyl-(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl) which is monosubstituted in the alkyl moiety by —COR 4a ,

R 3a represents methyl, ethyl, methylcarbonyl, ethylcarbonyl, or represents phenyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by fluorine, chlorine, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, or trifluoromethyl,

R 4a represents hydroxyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, or ethoxy, and

r represents 0 or 1,

with the proviso that R 1a and R 2a do not represent acetoxymethyl.

8. The compound of claim 6 , wherein

R 1a and R 2a are identical or different and represent C 1 -C 4 -alkyl which is monosubstituted or polysubstituted by fluorine, hydroxyl, methoxy, ethoxy, methylcarbonyloxy, or carboxyl; C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl which is optionally monosubstituted or polysubstituted by chlorine, methyl, or trifluoromethyl; or 1-phenethyl or 2-phenethyl, each of which is monosubstituted in the alkyl moiety by —COR 4a ,

R 3a represents methyl, methylcarbonyl, or phenyl,

R 4a represents hydroxyl or methoxy, and

r represents 0,

with the proviso that R 1a and R 2a do not represent acetoxymethyl.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phytopathogenic fungi is selected from the group consisting of Blumeria spp., Podosphaera spp., Sphaerotheca spp., Uncinula spp., Gymnosporangium spp., Hemileia spp., Phakopsora spp., Puccinia spp., Uromyces spp., Bremia spp., Peronospora spp., Phytophthora spp., Plasmopara spp., Pseudoperonospora spp., Pythium spp., Alternaria spp., Cercospora spp., Cladiosporum spp., Cochliobolus spp., Colletotrichum spp., Cycloconium spp., Diaporthe spp., Elsinoe spp., Gloeosporium spp., Glomerella spp., Guignardia spp., Leptosphaeria spp., Magnaporthe spp., Microdochium spp., Mycosphaerella spp., Phaeosphaeria spp., Pyrenophora spp., Ramularia spp., Rhynchosporium spp., Septoria spp., Typhula spp., Venturia spp., Corticium spp., Fusarium spp., Gaeumannomyces spp., Rhizoctonia spp., Tapesia spp., Thielaviopsis spp., Aspergillus spp., Cladosporium spp., Claviceps spp., Fusarium spp., Gibberella spp., Monographella spp., Septoria spp., Sphacelotheca spp., Tilletia spp., Urocystis spp., Ustilago spp., Botrytis spp., Penicillium spp., Sclerontinia spp., Verticilium spp., Sclerotium spp., Nectria spp., Monilinia spp., Taphrina spp., Esca spp., Helminthosporium spp., Xanthomonas spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Erwinia spp.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phytopathogenic fungi is selected from the group consisting of Phytophthora spp., Plasmopara spp., Alternaria spp., Pyrenophora spp., Venturia spp., and Botrytis spp.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound is