urbaf2

550 CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY OF EXPLOSIVES

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m. p. 208-210°C

An attempt to introduce one more nitro group so as to obtain symmetric picryl

oxide failed, since under the necessary vigorous nitration conditions decomposition

of the product took place.

According to Okon [9], compound I may be obtained by the nitration of 2,4,6-

trinitrodiphenyl ether (III), which in turn is formed by the action of phenol on

picryl-pyridinium chloride (p. 464) :

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III (m. p. 155-156°C) I

Isomer (II) 2,4,6,3’,4’-pentanitrodiphcnyl ether (m. p. 200°C) is usually prepared

by a Westfalisch-Anhaltische Sprengstoffe A. G. method [10], based on the reactions:

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Neither substance is a strong enough explosive to make their rather expensive

production economical.

HEXANITRODIPHENYL ETHER

Only unsymmetrical 2,4,6,3’,4’,6’-hexanitrodiphenyl ether (VI) melting at

278°C (269°C) is known.

IV