Study on Synthesis, Process, Improvement, and Performance of 2‐Methyl‐4,5‐dinitro‐1,2,3‐triazole‐1‐oxide (DNMTO)

Abstract This study presents an optimized synthesis of 2‐methyl‐4,5‐dinitro‐1,2,3‐triazole‐1‐oxide (DNMTO), an insensitive high‐energy compound, via one‐pot method with pulsed ultrasound‐assisted extraction (PUAE). Glyoxal reacted with methylhydrazine and hydroxylamine hydrochloride to form intermediate 2‐methyltriazole (MTO, 21% yield) under CuSO 4 /pyridine catalysis, followed by nitration (HNO 3 /H 2 SO 4 , 1:3) to achieve DNMTO with 80% yield. Structural characterization by IR, elemental analysis, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction confirmed DNMTO's orthorhombic lattice (crystal space group: P bca; crystal density: 1.729 g/cm 3 ). Thermal analysis revealed a melting point of 130.5 °C and decomposition onset at 245 °C. DNMTO exhibited low mechanical sensitivity ( H 50 = 53 cm, friction sensitivity = 12%) and competitive detonation performance (theoretical density: 1.793 g/cm 3 , velocity: 8,889 m/s, and pressure: 34.90 GPa), comparable to RDX. These results validate DNMTO as a promising insensitive explosive candidate.