Synthesis and Some Properties of 1,2-Dinitroguanidine

1,2-Dinitroguanidine is a product of nitroguanidine nitration with nitric acid and its mixtures with sulfuric acid and oleum. It is a diacid (pK_a 1.11, 11.5) and at the same time a weak base undergoing protonation at the nitrogen of the amino group (pK_BH+ -5.81). The decomposition kinetics of 1,2-dinitroguanidine was studied by spectrophotometric method both in acid and alkaline media, and the mechanism of the process was assumed. In the media of high acidity (H_o > -8) the 1,2-dinitroguanidine suffers reversible denitration into nitroguanidine. At lower acidity its conjugate acid or molecular form undergoes hydrolysis yielding nitrourea. Monoanion of 1,2-dinitroguanidine in a weak acid or in an alkali is hydrolyzed into N,N'-dinitrourea. The reaction of 1,2-dinitroguanidine with alkali in alcohol provides its salts, with nitrogen-containing bases form both salts and derivatives of 2-nitroguanidine. The treatment of 1,2-dinitroguanidine with haloalkanes results in its N-alkylated products.