Synthesis of 1-Methyl-2,4,5-trinitroimidazoles by Iodo Method

1-Methyl-2,4,5-trinitroimidazole(MTNI)was synthesized using imidazole as starting material via iodination of an alkaline I2/KI aqueous solution at room temperature,methylating of iodomethane and nitration of 100% HNO3.Its structure was characterized by IR,MS and elemental analysis.The effects of reaction temperature and reaction time on the yield of the title compound were investigated.The results show that the optimum parameters of methylation reaction are:n(CH3I)∶n(TII)=1.75∶1 and reaction time 4 h.The optimal reaction time and temperature of the nitration reaction are considered to be 2.5 h and 80-83℃,respectively.