| abstract |
A process for the production of a high energy nitrate ester involves reacting, in an inert organic solvent, a heterocyclic compound, selected from oxiranes, oxetanes, N-substituted aziridines and N-substituted azetidines, with either N2O4 or N2O5, and when the compound is reacted with N2O4, oxidising the O- or N-nitrate substituents or substituent in the product to O- or N-nitrate substituent or substituents. The remaining ring carbon atoms on the heterocyclic compound may be substituted or unsubstituted. Preferred substituent groups for the C and/or N ring atoms on the compound include alkyl, cyanoalkyl, haloalkyl, nitroalkyl, and substituted aryl. Several novel nitrate ester are also provided, including nitrated derivatives of polybutadiene, in which between 1% and 25% of the carbon atoms in the polymer are substituted by vicinal nitrate ester (-ONO2) groups. |