Abstract: 3-amino-2,4-trinitrophenol and 3,5-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrophenol were obtained by vicarious nucleophilic substitution (VNS) amination of picric acid under the different conditions in the yield of 81% and 78% respectively, which used 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole as the aminating reagent. The structures of the products were identified by IR, ₁HNMR, and elemental analysis. The thermal decomposition processes were studied by DTA-TG, and their shock sensitivities were tested. The results show that the peak temperatures of thermal decomposition of 3-amino-picric acid and 3,5-diamino-picric acid are 243.7 ℃ and 286.9 ℃, respectively, and their characteristic fall heights are 42.8 cm and 56.1 cm, respectively. The peak temperature of thermal decomposition increases and the shock sensitivity is lowered when amino group is introduced into the molecular of picric acid.

Key words: organic chemistry, synthesis, vicarious nucleophilic substitution, aminating reaction, 3-amino-2,4,6-trinitrophenol, 3,5-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrophenol, characteristic fall height