A,2,4,6-tetranitrotoluene

Ref 2 terms this compd an expl. The compd s deep red expl K salt, Potassium-o ,2,4,6-Tetra-nitrotoluene is formed using a tetrahydrofuran-methanol soln of K hydroxide and a, 2,4,6-tetranitrotoluene, and precipitating the salt with eth. The salt is reported to be v sensitive to impact and heat... 

Reaction of the highly explosive fluorotrinitromethane with the anion of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, prepared with potassium hydroxide, gives the highly explosive a,2,4,6-tetranitrotoluene in 89% yield.609 Ketone enol silyl ethers and the equally highly explosive tetranitromethane react to give a-nitro ketones in low to very high yields (Eq. 188).610... 

Ice-cooled aq.-methanolic KOH added quickly at 0° to a Dry Ice-acetone cooled, well-stirred soln. of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and fluorotrinitromethane in tetrahydro-furan-methanol, whereupon the temp, rises to ca. 5°, then begins to fall, and the product isolated when the temp, has again reached 0° -> a,2,4,6-tetranitrotoluene. Y 89%. M. E. Sitzmann, L. A. Kaplan, and I. Angres, J. Org. Chem. 42, 563... 

Thereafter, add and dissolve 14 grams of 2-amino-3,4,5,6-tetranitrotoluene (prepared in step 2) while stirring the acid mixture. Then slowly add 7 milliliters of 98% sulfuric acid, drop wise, over a period of 40 minutes while stirring the reaction mixture. After the addition of the 98% sulfuric acid, stir the reaction mixture overnight at room temperature. Afterwards, extract the reaction mixture with six 150-milliliter portions of chloroform. The chloroform will be the upper layer. After the extraction process, combine all three portions of chloroform (if not already done so), and then remove the chloroform by distillation at 65 Celsius until dry solid remains (the distillation may need to be temporarily stopped in order to filter-off precipitated product). After the chloroform has been removed, remove the heat source and allow the contents in the distillation flask to cool to room temperature. Then collect the dry product from the distillation flask, and then vacuum dry or air-dry any product that may have been filtered-off during the distillation process. Then combine all the dry product, wash with 400 milliliters of water, and then vacuum dry or air-dry. The result will be 13 grams of pentanitrotoluene, as yellow crystals with a melting point of 224 Celsius. 

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