Purification of Hexabenzylhexaazaisowurtzitane

Hexabenzylhexaazaisowurtzitane (HBIW) is produced by a condensation reaction of benzylamine with glyoxal in suitable organic solvents in the presence of protonic acid catalysts. Impurities have to be removed prior to the subsequent stages of the synthesis of CL-20. The effectiveness of HBIW purification by recrystallization from a variety of solvents has been studied here. This method was compared with a novel approach suggested for HBIW purification that consists of prolonged heating of the crude product in boiling methanol. This new purification method allows the product to be prepared in satisfactory purity, it is simple and easily performed on a large-scale.