Synthesis of Cubane Based Energetic Molecules

The need to pack more power with less weight into less space in tomorrows weapons drove this program for the synthesis of super energetic materials. Our original impetus was a program based solely on the energetic properties of cubane. However, as a course of our studies here and in a parallel ONR sponsored program SRI project number 6654, ONR contract No. N00014-88-C-0537, we discovered and developed an alternative oxidizer to cubyl based systems, the dinitramide salts. We will report on our developments in the synthesis of new oxidizers based on cubane and dinitramide. In this research, we developed new methods for the functionalization of the cubane nucleus and synthesized new energetic cubanes. We developed several new routes for the synthesis of the dinitramino group, NNO22. Our work on the preparation of the dinitramide group led to the synthesis of the dinitramide ion, and as a consequence ammonium dinitramide. We have in turn used this synthesis to prepare cubane ammonium dinitramide salts. We synthesized cubane-1,4bis-ammonium dinitramide and cubane1,2,4,7-tetrakisammonium dinitramide as well as several other dinitramide salts.... Cubane, Dinitramide, Explosives, Propellants, Dinitramine, Oxidizers, Nitro compounds.