Eugenol, a natural phenolic allyl benzene that has been used as an active lead compound showing significant biological activities, including insecticidal effects on a wide variety of domestic arthropod pests, was used as the main reagent in the present work. Ester eugenol derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their insecticidal activities against the Spodoptera frugiperda cell line. Studies of structure-based inverted virtual screening were carried out in order to identify the potential targets associated with the obtained insecticidal activity. The results indicate that the insecticide activity observed is most likely a result of the interaction of these molecules with the odorant-binding proteins and/or with acetylcholinesterase.

Eugenol-based azo dyes illustrate how bio-sourced compounds like eugenol can be transformed through synthetic processes into functional and colorful compounds. The main purpose of the present work was to develop new responsive colorimetric sensors for metal cations based on eugenol-derived azo compounds. The incorporation of the azo group into the eugenol framework allows for strong electronic interactions with metal cations, leading to distinct color changes observable to the naked eye. These azo-eugenol dyes exhibit shifts in their UV-Vis absorption spectra upon complexation with metal cations such as copper (Cu²⁺) and lead (Pb²⁺), making them effective sensors for environmental and analytical applications. The eugenol-based azo dyes were subjected to photophysical studies to understand selectivity, response time, and stability in relation to metal cations, which will be a starting point for the monitoring of toxic metal contaminants in aqueous environments.

A series of azo dyes containing eugenol, the major phenolic compound in clove (Syzygium aromaticum) essential oil, was synthesized by coupling reactions of diazonium salts of different amines based on 3-aminobenzoic acid with eugenol. The new eugenol-based azo dyes were fully characterized by the usual analytical techniques and used in preliminary reactive dyeing tests on polyamide fabric to determine the colour fastness and staining under domestic washing conditions. The results obtained revealed the potential of these dyes for applications in the textile area.

In the next years, improvement of human quality of life thought more efficient and environmentally safety food production will be a challenge. Within this aim, the use of pesticides will continue, but rigorous testing and severer rules will shift research to find safer alternatives. To contribute for the discovery and development of new insecticides and as a continuation of our recent research interests in biopesticides, a series of eugenol esters derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their insecticidal activities against the Sf9 cell line. In addition, a structured-based inverted virtual screening protocol was employed to identify the potential proteins associated to the observed insecticidal activity. The encouraging results obtained allowed to establish a preliminary structure-activity relationship.

The growing demand for eco-friendly alternatives in the textile industry has encouraged the exploration of natural products as sustainable sources for dye synthesis. This study focused on the design, synthesis, and application of azo dyes obtained from phenolic precursors, namely eugenol combined with aminobenzoic acid derivatives. The main goal was to create environmentally sustainable dyes and validate their applicability in textile finishing processes, particularly exhaust dyeing and coating. The dyes were synthesized through classical diazotization-coupling strategies and structural characterization was achieved by spectroscopic methods, which supported the successful introduction of the azo functionality and preservation of key phenolic groups. Textile application studies demonstrated that the synthesized dyes were capable of producing uniform and vivid colours on cotton knitted fabrics. Pretreatments with cationic agents improved dye uptake and washing durability on cellulose substrates, while surface coating techniques proved especially effective in enhancing colour intensity. Adjustments in coating parameters, such as thickness and number of layers, further contributed to improved fastness to wash and light. The promising results obtained in this work highlight the potential of azo dyes incorporating natural products, as sustainable alternatives to conventional synthetic dyes used in the textile industry.