Patent ID: 7304164

Claim:
A method for the preparation of 1-methyl-2,4,5-trinitroimidazole, which method comprises the steps of: (a) preparing and purifying a quantity of 2,4-dinitroimidazole from commercially available 4-nitroimidazole by conventional methods; (b) methylating the 2,4-dinitroimidazole of step (a) by combining and heating with dimethylsulfate to obtain 1-methyl-2,4-dinitroimidazole; (c) further nitration of said 1-methyl-2,4-dinitroimidazole by combining said 1-methyl-2,4-dinitroimidazole with concentrated nitric acid and slowly adding sulfuric acid to obtain 1-methyl-2,4,5-trinitroimidazole; and, (d) recovering said 1-methyl-2,4,5-trinitroimidazole.