DATB

     IDATB, an acronym for 1,3-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene or just diaminotrinitrobenzene, is a very insensitive and powerful high explosive. Other names include 2,4,6-trinitro-1,3-benzenediamine; 2,4,6-trinitro-m-phenylenediamine; 2,4,6-trinitro-1,3-benzenediamine; 2,4-diamino-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene; NSC 3638; and PBXN 4. DATB is classified as a heat resistant explosive and find uses in numerous applications. DATB is the cousin of the more powerful and stable TATB. DATB is rather expensive to manufacture, around $200/Kg, but it has been the subject of numerous studies to develop ever cheaper and more efficient routes of synthesis. Lawrence Livermore has developed a process called vicarious nucleophilic substitution that uses surplus uns-dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) rocket propellant from the former Soviet Union, or the process can use surplus ammonium picrate (explosive D) from the US. Using the surplus material is significantly cheaper, but more importantly the raw material for the traditional synthetic route, trichlorobenzene, is only manufactured in China. It does the US no good to depend on a potential enemy nation for its nuclear defense needs.

CHEMICALS	APPARATUS
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     Synthesis 1: Prepare a solution of 0.30 g of picramide and 17.5 mmol 1,1,1-triethylhydrazinium chloride (or 17.5 mmol trimethylhydrazinium iodide) in 10 mL of dry DMSO. Add 0.31 g of sodium methoxide in one portion and stir the slurry for 3 hours. Pour the reaction mixture into a small beaker containing 25 mL of ice water. Add concentrated hydrochloric acid to the mixture until it reaches a pH of 4. Filter to collect the product, wash it thoroughly with water, and allow to dry in the open. Final yield of DATB is about 0.24 g or 75%. Synthesis 2: Prepare a solid mixture of 0.148 g of trinitrobenzene, 0.609 g of sodium methoxide, and 5.10 mmol of 1,1,1-triethylhydrazinium chloride (or 5.10 mmol trimethylhydrazinium iodide). While rapidly stirring pour in 5 mL of DMSO, and continue stirring for 2 hours. Pour the reaction mixture into 200 mL of 0.12N hydrochloric acid. Filter to collect the precipitate, wash it with water, and allow to dry in the open. Final yield of DATB is 0.148 g or 61%. Synthesis 3: Prepare a mixture of 30 g of 1,3-dihydroxybenzene and 30 g of sodium acetate in 180 mL of acetic anhydride. Heat the mixture to 110 C for 2 hours, and then allow it to cool to room temperature. Pour the mixture into a large beaker containing 500 mL of ice water and stir it for 16 hours. Decant off the liquids and extract the solid material with 500 mL of dichloromethane. Dry the solvent in a flask with several grams of anhydrous magnesium sulfate. Filter to remove the sulfate, and then heat the filtrate on a steam bath to remove the solvent. Final yield of 1,3-diacetoxybenzene is over 50 g or 96%. Synthesis 4: Prepare a solution of 2.15 g of 1,3-dimethoxy-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene in 50 mL of toluene. Cool the solution to -10 C and bubble ammonia gas into it with rapid stirring for 90 minutes. Maintain the temperature at -10 C throughout the ammonia addition. After the 90 minutes has elapsed remove the cooling bath and continue to bubble ammonia through the solution for an additional 90 minutes. The solution will gradually warm to room temperature. Filter to collect the yellow precipitate, wash it with toluene, and allow to dry. Final yield of DATB is almost 2 g or 98%. Synthesis 5: Prepare a solution of 0.709 g of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and 0.477 g of picramide in 17 mL of DMSO. Prepare a second solution of 1.28 g of sodium methoxide in 5.40 mL of methyl alcohol. Add the second solution to the first while stirring, and continue stirring for an additional 4 hours at room temperature. Pour the reaction mixture into a beaker containing 200 mL of saturated ammonium chloride solution to precipitate the product. Filter to collect the precipitate, and wash it with cold water and acetone. Final yield of DATB is almost 0.14 g or 27%. Synthesis 6: Prepare a mixture of 0.709 g of o-methylhydroxylamine hydrochloride, 1.27 g of sodium methoxide, and 0.477 g of picramide. Add to this mixture 10 mL of DMSO with rapid stirring. Continue stirring the mixture for 2 hours at room temperature. Pour the mixture into a beaker containing cold 200 mL of 0.12N hydrochloric acid to precipitate the product. Filter to collect the precipitate, wash it with water, and allow to dry. Final yield of DATB is a little over 0.45 g or 89%.

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