Recent approaches to the synthesis of high explosive and energetic materials: A review

The synthesis of energetic materials over the past 10–15 years has been reviewed. The areas in which most activity has occurred embrace six different classes of compounds: polynitroaliphatics, dinitrofluoromethyl compounds, difluoramines, azido compounds, polynitroaromatics and heterocyclic compounds. Each class is treated within a single section covering the synthesis of the basic “building-block” materials, the strategies for transforming these into the final products and the scope and limitations of the reactions carried out. Most of the literature covered deals with new compounds but new or improved syntheses of compounds already known to possess useful properties are also described. Finally, developments in the prediction of explosive properties from molecular structure/composition are dealt with more briefly.