Efficient synthesis and characterization of non-toxic glyphosate derivatives as eco-friendly herbicides

Abstract The present work was designed to synthesize a chain of ester derivatives of glyphosate along with their structure analysis using FTIR, 1H NMR, 31PNMR, and mass spectroscopy. Further, their herbicidal, anti-microbial and toxicological studies were carried out, and the obtained results confirmed good herbicidal effects of these derivatives on the common weed Parthenium hysterophorus. Moreover, these derivatives were also able to reduce the chlorophyll content of weeds, and their results were statistically evaluated using one-way ANOVA. In order to investigate the impact of ester derivatives on Eisenia fetida, toxicity evaluation was performed, and interestingly these derivatives were proved to be non-toxic. Additionally, the synthesized derivatives of glyphosate were found to be less polar in contrast to their parent molecule. They were easily degraded by soil bacteria and undeniably may prove beneficial in curbing the problem of their leaching into the water bodies and soil ecosystems.