Environmentally Friendly Alternative Synthesis and Process to Manufacture Cost-Effective Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20)

Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) is the most powerful conventional explosive known, but its high cost has limited its adoption in a range of potential applications. Part of the challenge in making these materials is the complexity of the reaction used to prepare the polycyclic cage. The complexity of this reaction makes it difficult to have insight into the reaction and to improve it. Additionally, several of the intermediates and reaction (by)products are challenging analyze with typical analytical techniques such as RP-HPLC. In the research program proposed herein, we would apply cutting-edge analytical techniques in combination with flow chemistry techniques to collect detailed data about the relevant chemical reactions while also enabling access to process conditions that would be inaccessible using batch techniques.