JWBK121-FM October 11, 2006 21:10 Char Count= 0xiv Preface
nitration to the synthesis of modern high performance explosives via dinitrogen pentoxide
nitration methodology.
For a long time, a reference/text book has been needed which provides detailed information
on the synthetic routes to a wide range of energetic materials. The objective of this book is to
fill this gap in the literature. TheOrganic Chemistry of Explosivesis a text of pure chemistry
which condenses together all the synthetic methods and routes available for the synthesis of
organic explosives into one volume. This book is a reference source for chemists working in
the field of energetic materials and all those with an interest in the chemistry of nitramines,
nitro compounds, nitrate esters and nitration in general. We assume the readers to be new to
the chemistry of explosives and so discuss everything from the simplest mixed acid nitration of
toluene to the complex synthesis of caged nitro compounds. In doing so, we believe students
with a sound knowledge of the basics of organic chemistry will also find this book of value.
While writing this book our approach has been to focus on synthetic methods and use
individual synthesis to supplement the discussion rather than bombarding the readers with
a near endless list of syntheses. This strikes at the fundamental principles used for energetic
materials synthesis and we believe this will be more helpful to the readers. This brings us to the
most important class of reaction used for energetic materials synthesis: that of nitration, which
is the most widely studied and well understood of any reaction class in organic chemistry. A
considerable proportion of this book is devoted to nitration. The books/papers/reviews listed
under Acknowledgements were invaluable in the writing of this manuscript and we would
recommend the reading of these for further understanding and details of nitration chemistry.
TheOrganic Chemistry of Explosivesis split into nine well-defined chapters, based on the
observation that explosive properties are imparted into a compound by the presence of certain
functional groups. Chapters 1, 3, 4 and 5 discuss the methods which can be used to introduce
C-nitro,O-nitro, andN-nitro functionality into organic compounds; the advantages and disad-
vantages of each synthetic method or route is discussed, together with the scope and limitations,
aided with numerous examples in the form of text, reaction diagrams and tables. Chapters 2,
6 and 7 discuss the synthesis of energetic compounds in the form of polynitropolycycloalka-
nes, caged and strained nitramines, andN-heterocycles respectively. Chapter 8 discusses the
synthesis of explosives containing functionality less widely encountered, including: organic
azides, peroxides, diazophenols, and energetic compounds derived from guanidine and its
derivatives. In the end, Chapter 9 gives an account of nitration with dinitrogen pentoxide and
its likely significance for the futuristic synthesis of energetic materials.
We have tried to be as thorough as possible to include all relevant information related to the
synthesis of organic explosives and although no attempt has been made to discuss the synthesis
of every organic explosive ever made, there are several hundred compounds discussed in the
text, enough to give the reader a sound knowledge of the synthesis of explosives. It would
be quite impossible to cover all the available literature on the synthesis of explosives in a
single volume text and it is just possible that some synthetically important papers might have
been overlooked and we apologize for this. The readers are requested to inform us about such
omissions which would be greatly appreciated and included in the next edition of this book.
We hope that this book will contribute to provide organic chemists with a comprehensive
knowledge of the synthetic routes to explosives and especially those that form the basis of
worldwide chemical industries.
J. P. Agrawal
R. D. Hodgson