1,1,1,3,5,5,5-Heptanitropentane

     This explosive looks like white crystals, it is stable, able to resist heat and friction up to a point, and stores well for several weeks. What little data there is has been provided by L.T. Carleton from Aerojet Engineering Co. in 1951.

CHEMICALS	APPARATUS
methyl alcohol	beaker/flask
nitric acid	desiccator
nitroallyl acetate	graduated cylinder
sodium hydroxide	pipet/buret
trinitromethane	stirrer/stirring rod
water	thermometer

     Prepare a solution of 7.5 g of nitroallyl acetate and 20 mL of methyl alcohol in a beaker or Erlenmeyer flask, and cool. Slowly add the cold solution drop by drop, with a dropper pipet or buret, to a constantly stirred mixture of 15.1 g of trinitromethane in 150 mL of water maintained at 0 °C over a period of 1 hour. Add 1 mL of a 20% solution of sodium hydroxide to the mixture of trinitromethane and water before the acetate and alcohol addition. The hydroxide will act as a catalyst for the reaction. The product is washed with water and recrystallized from 70% nitric acid at 75 °C. The product is then dried in a desiccator. Yield is about 66%. You will need a graduated cylinder for measuring liquids, a stirring rod or magnetic stirrer for mixing, and a thermometer to monitor the temperature.

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