Thiazole Sulfone/Sulfonamide Derivatives as Antifungal Agents: From Chemical Diversity to Agricultural Applications

Plant pathogenic fungi cause devastating losses to global crop production, driving an urgent need for novel antifungal agents. The thiazole ring is a privileged pharmacophore in fungicide discovery, featured in commercial products such as thiabendazole, thifluzamide, ethaboxam, and oxathiapiprolin, and the sulfonyl group (-SO 2 -) and its sulfonamide (-SO 2 NH-) variants serve as versatile linkers that modulate target affinity and physicochemical properties. Over the past decade (2015–2026), 51 research articles have reported thiazole sulfonyl derivatives as antifungal agents, yet no comprehensive review has systematically summarized these advances. This review fills that gap by providing: (i) a hierarchical chemical classification into six structural types based on the sulfur(VI) functional group, core heterocycle, and connectivity; (ii) molecular design strategies, including active substructure splicing and computer-aided design; (iii) a systematic structure–activity relationship (SAR) analysis; (iv) mechanisms of action encompassing SDH inhibition, microtubule disruption, OSBP targeting, and covalent SuFEx chemistry; (v) comparative analysis with four commercial thiazole fungicides; and (vi) antifungal resistance, environmental safety, and future perspectives. This review provides a practical roadmap for the rational design of next-generation, environmentally benign thiazole-based antifungal agents for sustainable crop protection.