Synthesis and thermal properties of 1,3-dinitro-3-(1′,3′-dinitroazetidin-3′-yl)azetidine (TNDAZ) and its admixtures with 1,3,3-trinitroazetidine (TNAZ)

Abstract The synthesis of TNDAZ in four steps by starting with N-t-butyl-3-hydroxymethyl-3-nitroazetidine is described. The structures of TNDAZ and of a precursor, N-t-butyl-3-nitro-3-(N-t-butyl-3′-nitroazetidin-3′-yl)azetidine, have been established unequivocally via application of single crystal X-ray crystallographic techniques. Thermal properties of TNDAZ, TNAZ and admixtures thereof are presented. A binary phase diagram has been predicted computationally and confirmed experimentally by using differential scanning calorimetry and hot stage microscopy. The thermal data support the existence of more than one polymorph for TNDAZ and for TNAZ.