Syntheses of 4‐OH and 5‐OH Imidacloprids.

4‐OH and 5‐OH imidacloprids, important metabolites of neonicotinoid insecticides, were synthesised in 4 steps starting from S‐methylisothiourea sulfate. The structure of 4‐OH imidacloprid was determined by X‐ray crystallographic analysis. This is the first example of the synthesis of both metabolites independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]