Lessons Learned: Spontaneous Detonation of 6-Azidotetrazolo[1,5-b]pyridazine

We report a case study on the spontaneous detonation of 6-azidotetrazolo[1,5-b]pyridazine, a compound that has been described as being stable despite having an N/C ratio of 2. We share the details of the incident and the lessons learned so that the potential hazards are reported for those who consider its use in the future. The compound was synthesized and handled five times without incident but then detonated upon standing. A one-pot technique to directly convert this hazardous material to the nonenergetic intermediate compound 6-hydroxytetrazolo[1,5-b]pyridazine is also provided.