5-BIS(FLUORODINITROMETHYL)-2-METHOXY-1,3-DIOXOLANE

The 1,3-dioxolane ring of the title compound, C6H6F2N4O11, is in a sli ghtly distorted 'twist' conformation. The largest deviations from the least-squares plane of the ring are exhibited by a C and an adjacent O atom which are displaced in opposite directions by about 0.23 Angstro m. Bond distances agree well with those of the analogous formate ester , the major differences arising from the change in hybridization of th e C5 atom from sp(2) in the ester to sp(3) in the present compound. Th e closest intermolecular interactions arise from nitro group O ... O c ontacts of 2.9 Angstrom between pairs of layers of molecules. Sublimed crystals 'jump' up to 1 cm and crack when gently heated (313 K).