Nitroamino Triazoles: Nitrogen-Rich Precursors of Stable Energetic Salts

Zwitterionic Energetic Materials: Synthesis, Structural Diversity and Energetic Properties

Zwitterionic compounds are an emergent class of energetic materials and have gained synthetic interest of many in the recent years. Due to their better packing efficiencies and strong inter/intramolecular electrostatic interactions, they often ensue superior energetic properties than their salt analogues. A systematic review from the perspective of design, synthesis, and physicochemical properties evaluation of the zwitterionic energetic materials is presented. Depending on the parent ring(s) used for the synthesis and the type of moieties bearing positive and negative charges, different classes of energetic materials, such as primary explosives, secondary explosives, heat resistant explosives, oxidizers, etc., may result. The properties of some of the energetic zwitterionic compounds are also compared with analogous energetic salts. This review will encourage readers to explore the possibility of designing new zwitterionic energetic materials.

4,4'-Dinitrimino-5,5'-diamino-3,3'-azo-bis-1,2,4-triazole: A High-Performing Zwitterionic Energetic Material

Mixed acid nitration of electrochemically generated 4,4',5,5'-tetraamino-3,3'-azo-bis-1,2,4-triazole (TAABT) generated the novel energetic material 4,4'-dinitrimino-5,5'-diamino-3,3'-azo-bis-1,2,4-triazole (DNDAABT). Various energetic salts of DNDAABT were also prepared and characterized to confirm their structures and determine their explosive sensitivities and performances. The free acid of DNDAABT exists as a zwitterionic molecule that leads to a high-density material with predicted detonation parameters comparable to those of TKX-50 (bis(hydroxylammonium) 5,5'-bis(tetrazolate-1 N-oxide). Due to the insensitive nature of TAABT, it was predicted that DNDAABT would demonstrate remarkably low sensitivities for a primary N-nitramine. However, it was found that DNDAABT and all salts produced have primary explosive sensitivities, albeit with relatively high thermal stabilities for primary N-nitramines.

Modern trends in “Green” primary energetic materials

The evergrowing demand for cleaner, high-performing energetic materials (EMs) has led to a quest for replacement of currently used toxic metal-based traditional energetic compounds such as lead azide and lead styphnate.

Properties and Promise of Catenated Nitrogen Systems As High-Energy-Density Materials

The properties of catenated nitrogen molecules, molecules containing internal chains of bonded nitrogen atoms, is of fundamental scientific interest in chemical structure and bonding, as nitrogen is uniquely situated in the periodic table to form kinetically stable compounds often with chemically stable N-N bonds but which are thermodynamically unstable in that the formation of stable multiply bonded N₂ is usually thermodynamically preferable. This unique placement in the periodic table makes catenated nitrogen compounds of interest for development of high-energy-density materials, including explosives for defense and construction purposes, as well as propellants for missile propulsion and for space exploration. This review, designed for a chemical audience, describes foundational subjects, methods, and metrics relevant to the energetic materials community and provides an overview of important classes of catenated nitrogen compounds ranging from theoretical investigation of hypothetical molecules to the practical application of real-world energetic materials. The review is intended to provide detailed chemical insight into the synthesis and decomposition of such materials as well as foundational knowledge of energetic science new to most chemists.

Nitroacetonitrile as a versatile precursor in energetic materials synthesis

Nitroacetonitrile is the simplest α-nitronitrile; it possesses a single central carbon attached to two strong electronegative, electron-withdrawing groups allowing extensive chemistry through the active methylene center. Free nitroacetonitrile has purification and stability issues, however stable salts of nitroacetonitrile possess the same reactivity as the free acid and are much more stable. Nitroacetonitrile serves as a versatile synthetic precursor in the formation of heterocyclic and polyfunctional aliphatic products and can allow for straightforward conversion to amino, acyl, and other functional groups. A main advantage of using nitroacetonitrile in the formation of heterocyclic-based energetics is its ability to add vicinal amino and nitro moieties onto fused ring structures, a common structural motif in insensitive energetic materials. In this minireview we discuss the preparation of nitroacetonitrile and its stable salts, as well as discuss the range of energetic materials this versatile precursor has found use in.

Nitroacetonitrile is a useful synthetic precursor capable of participating in a wide range of reactions and enables the simple synthesis of annulated heterocyclic systems which are rapidly becoming promising new energetic materials.

Structures and properties of energetic cations in energetic salts

Energetic cations play important roles in energetic performance, which may attribute to the diverse backbones and substituted groups of energetic cations. This review emphasizes the roles of backbones and substituted groups in the energetic performance of energetic salts.

Theoretical studies on the stability of salts formed by 3-substituted 6-nitraminotetrazines with different cations

A series of energetic salts based on the cations NH4 (+), NH3OH(+), N2H5 (+) and C(NH2)3 (+) and the anions of 6-nitraminotetrazine and its 3-substituted derivatives of -NH2, -N3, -ONO2, -NF2 or -NO2 was studied using dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D). In comparison with salts of unsubstituted 6-nitraminotetrazine, -NH2 substitution strengthens the hydrogen bonding interaction and other intramolecular interactions (such as charge transfer, binding energy, second-order perturbation energy and dispersion energy), -N3 has tiny effects on these interactions, and other groups weaken these interactions, with weakening decreasing in the order -NO2 > -NF2 > -ONO2. The ability of the cations to produce strong intramolecular interactions decreases in the order NH3OH(+) > N2H5 (+) > NH4 (+) > C(NH2)3 (+), which is contrary to the order of the basicity of bases. Stronger intramolecular interactions lead to more stable salts. All substituent groups improved the chemical stability except -ONO2, while cations had no effect on chemical stability. All substituent groups were helpful in improving aromaticity, in the sequence -ONO2 > -NF2 > -NO2 > -N3 > -NH2.

Synthesis and Characteristics of Energetic Materials Based on 1,2-Dinitroguanidine

A series of energetic salts based on 1,2-dinitroguanidine were successfully synthesised and fully characterised using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results show that all the salts possess higher detonation properties (detonation pressures and velocities ranging from 24.8 to 30.3 GPa and 7665 to 8422 m s–1, respectively) than those of trinitrotolouene (TNT, 2,4,6-trinitromethylbenzene). The thermal stability and thermal kinetic parameters were also investigated to give a better understanding of the physical and chemical properties of these energetic salts.

Intermolecular interaction influenced energy and sensitivity of highly energetic salts: structure and physicochemical properties

Based on supramolecular interactions, three stable energetic compounds (TATA⁺)·(TZA⁻)·H₂O, (AT⁺)₂·(OX²⁻) and (DAT²⁺)·(NO₃⁻)₂ were synthesized and structurally characterized and their physicochemical properties theoretically and experimentally studied.

A study of dinitro-bis-1,2,4-triazole-1,1'-diol and derivatives: design of high-performance insensitive energetic materials by the introduction of N-oxides

In this contribution we report on the synthesis and full structural as well as spectroscopic characterization of 3,3'-dinitro-5,5'-bis-1,2,4-triazole-1,1'-diol and nitrogen-rich salts thereof. The first synthesis and characterization of an energetic 1-hydroxy-bistriazole in excellent yields and high purity is presented. This simple and straightforward method of N-oxide introduction in triazole compounds using commercially available oxone improves the energetic properties and reveals a straightforward synthetic pathway toward novel energetic 1,2,4-triazole derivatives. X-ray crystallographic measurements were performed and deliver insight into structural characteristics and strong intermolecular interactions. The standard enthalpies of formation were calculated for all compounds at the CBS-4 M level of theory, revealing highly positive heats of formation for all compounds. The energetic properties of all compounds (detonation velocity, pressure, etc.) were calculated using the EXPLO5.05 program, and the ionic derivatives show superior performance in comparison to the corresponding compounds bearing no N-oxide. All substances were characterized in terms of sensitivities (impact, friction, electrostatic) and thermal stabilities, and the ionic derivatives were found to be high thermally stable, insensitive compounds that are exceedingly powerful but safe to handle and prepare.

Nitramines with varying sensitivities: functionalized dipyrazolyl-N-nitromethanamines as energetic materials

1,3-Dichloro-2-nitro-2-azapropane is an excellent precursor to dense energetic functionalized dipyrazolyl-N-nitromethanamines. This new family of energetic compounds was fully characterized by using (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N NMR and IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, elemental analysis, and impact sensitivity tests. Additionally, single-crystal X-ray structuring was done for 3 and 5·CH3CN, which gave insight into structural characteristics. The experimentally determined densities of 2-9 fall between 1.69 and 1.90 g cm(-3). Heats of formation and detonation properties were calculated by using Gaussian 03 and EXPLO5 programs, respectively. The influence of different energetic moieties on the structural and energetic properties was established theoretically.

Nitrogen-rich energetic monoanionic salts of 3,4-bis(1H-5-tetrazolyl)furoxan

3,4-Bis(1H-5-tetrazolyl)furoxan (H(2)BTF, 2) and its monoanionic salts that contain nitrogen-rich cations were readily synthesized and fully characterized by multinuclear NMR ((1)H, (13)C) and IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and elemental analyses. Hydrazinium (3) and 4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium (7) salts crystallized in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n and have calculated densities of 1.820 and 1.764 g cm(-3), respectively. The densities of the energetic salts range between 1.63 and 1.79 g cm(-3), as measured by a gas pycnometer. Detonation pressures and detonation velocities were calculated to be 23.1-32.5 GPa and 7740-8790 m s(-1), respectively.

Energetic salts based on dipicrylamine and its amino derivative

Energetic salts based on dipicrylamine and its amino derivative were synthesized. All salts were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy ((1)H, (13)C), vibrational spectroscopy (IR), and elemental analysis. Ethylenediammonium di-DPA (DPA=dipicrylamine) and 1,3-diaminoguanidinium DPA were further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These salts exhibit reasonable physical properties, such as high densities (1.71-1.81 g cm(-3)), good thermal stabilities (T(d) =155-285 °C), and low solubilities in water. The impact sensitivity of 1-methyl-3,4,5-triamino-1,2,4-triazolium DPA is lower than that of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), and for some other energetic salts their impact sensitivities are comparable to that of TNT. Based on experimental densities and theoretical calculations carried out by using the Gaussian 03 suite of programs, all the salts have calculated detonation pressures (22.5-27.8 GPa) and velocities (7226-7917 m s(-1)) that exceed those of conventional TNT. The toxicities of these salts measured by luminescent bacteria toxicity tests are much lower than that of TNT, and two binary eutectic mixtures with melting points that fall between 70 and 100 °C were identified.