NEW SYNTHETIC ROUTES FOR ENERGETIC MATERIALS

THE SYNTHESIS OF NITRO DERIVATIVES OF HIGHLY STRAINED CAGE COMPOUNDS WHICH MAY ULTIMATELY PAVE THE WAY TO NEW, HIGHLY ENERGETIC MATERIALS FORMULATIONS HAS RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION IN RECENT YEARS. POLYNITRO POLYHEDRANES ARE PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE AS ALTERNATIVE INSENTISITVE HIGH EXPLOSIVES (IHE) DUE TO THEIR HIGH CARBON TO HYDROGEN ATOM RATIOS, HIGH DENSITIES (UP TO 1.40 G/CC) AND HIGH NET VOLUMETRIC HEATS OF COMBUSTION. CYCLOBUTADIENE IRON TRICARBONYL AND ITS DERIVATIVES FORM AN IMPORTANT GROUP OF PRECURSORS TO SUCH SYSTEMS. IT IS PROPOSED IN THIS EFFORT, TO SYNTHESIZE A SERIES OF NITRATED CYCLOBUTADIENE IRON TRICARBONYL COMPLEXES. THESE WILL BE CONVERTED TO CAGE COMPOUNDS BY DIMERIZATION/PHOTOCYCLOADDITION AND/ OR CONDENSATION WITH DIENOPHILES FOLLOWED BY PHOTOCYCLOADDITION. THIS WOULD RESULT IN THE FORMATION OF CAGE COMPOUNDS ALREADY BEARING NITRO GROUPS THUS OBVIATING THE DIFFICULT STEP OF CONVERTING OTHER FUNCTIONAL GROUPS TO NITRO SUBSTITUENTS.