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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Research and Development of High-performance Explosives
Published on: February 20, 2016
Synthesis and Explosion Hazards of 4-Azido-l-phenylalanine
Mark B Richardson1, Derek B Brown2, Carlos A Vasquez1
1Department of Chemistry , University of California , 1102 Natural Sciences 2 , Irvine , California 92697-2025 , United States.
Abstract:
A reliable, scalable, cost-effective, and chromatography-free synthesis of 4-azido-l-phenylalanine beginning from l-phenylalanine is described. Investigations into the safety of the synthesis reveal that the Ullman-like Cu(I)-catalyzed azidation step does not represent a significant risk. The isolated 4-azido-l-phenylalanine product, however, exhibits previously undocumented explosive characteristics.
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