Recent advances in the pesticide activities of chalcone derivatives

Abstract Obtaining pesticide‐active structures from natural resources and using them as lead compounds for the invention of new pesticides has become a popular research trend in the field of pesticide science in recent years. Chalcone is a simple scaffold for a number of natural compounds and is extensively found in plants. Due to the presence of active α, β‐unsaturated carbonyl groups, chalcone and its derivatives display a wide array of biological activities. Chemically, chalcone can be modified and synthesized easily to produce a variety of compounds with different structures. It is these properties that render chalcone analogs an effective tool for modifying the biological activity of pesticide molecules. This paper synthesizes the relevant research reports and patents of chalcone compounds with pesticide activity in the past 20 years. By summarizing the past research as well as combining the current development trend, we focus on five future directions of chalcone development, aiming to provide an effective reference value for the research of chalcone structure in pesticides. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.