CL-14, a code name for 5,7-diamino-4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan, is an insensitive high explosive compound. Other names for this explosive include 5,7-dinitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4,6-diamine 3-oxide; 5,7-dinitro-4,6-benzofurazandiamine 3-oxide; and 4,6-dinitro-5,7-diaminobenzofuroxan. CL-14 is classed as an insensitive, thermally stable, high density explosive, a class of explosives the military is very interested in nowadays. CL-14 is more powerful than the usual lineup of explosives including TATB, TNT, RDX, and the like. CL-14 can be used either alone or in admixture with other high explosives.
Prepare a solution of 7.2 g of 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan dissolved in 100 mL of water. Add 14.4 g of potassium bicarbonate and 8.3 g of hydroxylamine hydrochloride to the solution and stir for 3.5 hours at 25 C. The reaction mixture is then cooled to 0 C and 100 mL of 4N potassium hydroxide solution cooled to 0 C is added. Stirring is continued for 3.5 hours at 0 C. Filter to collect the yellow potassium salt of CL-14. Place the yellow solid in a beaker with water at room temperature. Add an excess of 1N hydrochloric acid and stir for 1 hour. The yellow solid is filtered to collect it, washed with 50 mL of water, and dried. Synthesis 2: 4.16 g of hydroxylamine hydrochloride is added to a stirred solution of 40.0 g of 85% KOH made up to 300 mL with water at a temperature of 5 C. To this mixture, 5.33g of 7-amino-4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan (ADNBF) is added, with stirring, at 5 C. Initially, a transient bright-red color appeared then changed to an orange color. Solid particles may be visible in the stirred reaction mixture. Stirring is continued at 5 C for 5 hours. The reaction mixture is poured into 500 mL of ice water and stirred for 15 minutes. The fine yellow solid is filtered to collect it, washed with two 50 mL portions of ice water, and dried to give 4.51 g (69.4% yield) of the potassium salt of CL-14. The potassium salt is stirred with 50 mL of 3N hydrochloric acid for 30 minutes, the yellow solid is filtered to collect it, washed with 50 mL of water, and dried to give 3.69g (65.2% yield) of CL-14.