New Roles for 1,1-Diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7): Halogenated FOX-7 and Azo-bis(diahaloFOX) as Energetic Materials and Oxidizers

Single Step Synthesis of gem-Dinitro Methyl-1,2,4-triazole and Its Hydroxylamine Salt: An Alternative to the FOX-7 and Other Benchmark Explosives

gem-Dinitro methyl based high-energy-density material 5-(dinitromethylene)-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazole (2) and its hydroxylamine salt (4) were synthesized for the first time in a single step and characterized. Further, the structure of 2 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) studies. Interestengly, both the compounds show excellent density (> 1.83 g cm-3), detonation velocity (> 8700 m s-1), pressure (> 30 GPa) and are insensitive toward mechanical stimuli such as impact and friction sensitivity. Considering their synthetic fesibility and balanced energetic performance, compounds 2 and 4 show future prospects as potential next-generation energetic materials for the replacenent of many presently used benchmark high energy density materials such as RDX, FOX-7 and highly insensitive H-FOX.

Trinitromethyl-Substituted 1H-1,2,4-Triazole Bridging Nitropyrazole: A Strategy of Utterly Manipulable Nitration Achieving High-Energy Density Material

Nitro groups have been demonstrated to play a decisive role in the development of the most powerful known energetic materials. Two trinitromethyl-substituted 1H-1,2,4-triazole bridging nitropyrazoles were first synthesized by straightforward routes and were characterized by chemical (MS, NMR, IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction) and experimental analysis (sensitivity toward friction, impact, and differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetric analysis test). Their detonation properties (detonation pressure, detonation velocity, etc.) were predicted by the EXPLO5 package based on the crystal density and calculated heat of formation with Gaussian 09. These new trinitromethyl triazoles were found to show suitable sensitivities, high density, and highly positive heat of formation. The combination of exceedingly high performances superior to those of HMX (1,3,5,7-tetranitrotetraazacyclooctane), and its straightforward preparation highlights compound 8 as a promising high-energy density material (HEDM). This work supports the effectivity of utterly manipulable nitration and provides a generalizable design synthesis strategy for developing new HEDMs.

Fluorine-Containing Functional Group-Based Energetic Materials

Molecules featuring fluorine-containing functional groups exhibit outstanding properties with high density, low sensitivity, excellent thermal stability, and good energetic performance due to the strong electron-withdrawing ability and high density of fluorine. Hence, they play a pivotal role in the field of energetic materials. In light of current theoretical and experimental reports, this review systematically focuses on three types of energetic materials possessing fluorine-containing functional groups F- and NF2 - substituted trinitromethyl groups (C(NO2 )2 F, C(NO2 )2 NF2 ), trifluoromethyl group (CF3 ), and difluoroamino and pentafluorosulfone groups (NF2 , SF5 ) and investigates the synthetic methods, physicochemical parameters, and energetic properties of each. The incorporation of fluorine-containing functional moieties is critical for the development of novel high energy density materials, and is rapidly being adopted in the design of energetic materials.

Chemical Descriptors for a Large-Scale Study on Drop-Weight Impact Sensitivity of High Explosives

The drop-weight impact test is an experiment that has been used for nearly 80 years to evaluate handling sensitivity of high explosives. Although the results of this test are known to have large statistical uncertainties, it is one of the most common tests due to its accessibility and modest material requirements. In this paper, we compile a large data set of drop-weight impact sensitivity test results (mainly performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory), along with a compendium of molecular and chemical descriptors for the explosives under test. These data consist of over 500 unique explosives, over 1000 repeat tests, and over 100 descriptors, for a total of about 1500 observations. We use random forest methods to estimate a model of explosive handling sensitivity as a function of chemical and molecular properties of the explosives under test. Our model predicts well across a wide range of explosive types, spanning a broad range of explosive performance and sensitivity. We find that properties related to explosive performance, such as heat of explosion, oxygen balance, and functional group, are highly predictive of explosive handling sensitivity. Yet, models that omit many of these properties still perform well. Our results suggest that there is not one or even several factors that explain explosive handling sensitivity, but that there are many complex, interrelated effects at play.

External oxidant-free and transition metal-free synthesis of 5-amino-1,2,4-thiadiazoles as promising antibacterials against ESKAPE pathogen strains

A new route to 5-amino-1,2,4-thiadiazole derivatives via reaction of N-chloroamidines with isothiocyanates has been proposed. The advantages of this method are high product yields (up to 93%), the column chromatography-free workup procedure, scalability and the absence of additive oxidizing agents or transition metal catalysts. The 28 examples of 5-amino-1,2,4-thiadiazole derivatives obtaining via the proposing protocol were evaluated in vitro against ESKAPE pathogens strains (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae). It was found that compounds 5ba, 5bd, 6a, 6d and 6c have potent antibacterial activity (MIC values 0.09-1.5 μg mL^-1), which is superior to the activity of commercial antibiotics such as pefloxacin (MIC 4-8 μg mL^-1) and streptomycin (MIC 2-32 μg mL^-1). The additional cytotoxic assay of hit compounds on PANC-1 cell line demonstrated the low or non-cytotoxicity activity at the same level of concentrations. Thus, these 5 compounds are promising starting point for further antimicrobial drug development.

Crystal structures and properties of high-nitrogen energetic salts based on (Z)-1,1-diamino-2-nitro-2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)ethene

Forming hydrogen bond interactions between a nitro group (Tz-FOX), a tetrazole moiety (Tz-FOX), and amino groups (G, AG, and TAG) led to three nitrogen-rich energetic salts (2, 3, and 5).

HFOX-1-Amino-1-hydrazino-2,2-Dinitroethylene as a Precursor to Trifluoromethyl, Dinitro, or Trinitro-Based Energetic 1,2,4-Triazoles

The chemical reactivity of 1-amino-1-hydrazino-2,2-dinitroethylene with a carboxylic acid for the construction of structurally interesting energetic triazoles and their energetic salts is reported. All new compounds were fully characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Crystal analysis, good detonation properties, and low sensitivities of these trifluoromethyl and dinitro- or trinitro-based triazoles suggest their role as potential candidates for insensitive high-energy-density materials.

Synthesis and energetic properties of homocubane based high energy density materials

Novel Homocubane based HED materials with high densities, HOF and density specific impulse are superior to conventional fuels RP1 and HTPB.

Enforced Planar FOX-7-like Molecules: A Strategy for Thermally Stable and Insensitive π-Conjugated Energetic Materials

Exploring new energetic derivatives of 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene (FOX-7) is still a key aspect in the field of energetic materials. However, so far most of the attention has been focused on modification of FOX-7 via different reaction strategies. Now we report the design of three new FOX-7-like compounds (3-5) where one nitro group in FOX-7 is replaced by a nitrogen-rich heterocyclic ring. Each of them is characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Electronic structures are studied through computational methods in comparison with FOX-7. In addition, the chemical reactivity of 3 was also investigated. Its hydroxylammonium (7), hydrazinium (8), and ammonium (9) salts were prepared, and the nitrate product (10) was also isolated. Compound 10 has a C-N bond length of 1.577 Å that is one of the longest values found for the C-NO₂ bond. It was found that the incorporation of a tetrazole or triazole ring into the backbone of a conjugated nitroenamine does lead to a planar structure, which not only enhances the thermal stability but also improves the sensitivity of the product.

The Effects of Metal Complexes of Nano-Graphene Oxide to Thermal Decomposition of FOX-7

1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7) an insensitive high-energetic compound, has rarely been reported previously with respect to combustion performance. In order to quickly apply it to propellants, the thermal decomposition behaviors of FOX-7 should be optimized. Metal complexes of nano-graphene oxide have an obvious effect on the thermal decomposition of energy materials. In this paper, the metal (Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺) complexes of nano-graphene oxide (nGO) have been synthesized using nGO as a ligand and metal ions as a coordination center. They were mixed with FOX-7 as additives to form energetic composites, and the chemical bond distributions and thermal decomposition processes of these composites have been investigated. The results show that Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺ are uniformly distributed on the surface of the nGO. The thermal decomposition processes of nGO-metal-FOX-7 composites have been fully characterized by Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and Thermal gravimetric analyzer-Differential scanning calorimeter-Infrared spectroscopy-Mass spectrum (TG-DSC-IR-MS) coupling technology. The results show that the Fe³⁺ based complex affect the decomposition of FOX-7 than the Cu²⁺ based one with the initial decomposition temperature of 230 °C and the apparent heat release of 3535.6 J·g⁻¹. Moreover, the addition of nGO-metal complexes could promote the formation of nitrogen during the decomposition of FOX-7, indicating a more complete decomposition.

Modification of crystalline energetic salts through polymorphic transition: enhanced crystal density and energy performance

We presented a detailed investigation of polymorphic transition of energetic salts and explored a new path for modifying crystalline energetic salts.

Review of novel energetic polymers and binders - high energy propellant ingredients for the new space race

Current solid rocket propellant formulations still employ traditional ingredients utilized since the 1960s, such as hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB). Recent advances in energetic polymer see many binders capable of providing higher specific impulse and burn rates over HTPB. As shown by calculations, even slight increases in specific impulse can drastically increase the maximum payload of a launch system. Therefore, replacing HTPB with energetic binders could provide heavy space missions the needed extra boost. Energetic binders could also be paired with chlorine-free energetic oxidizers to synergistically provide a specific impulse exceedingly higher than the current formulation while reducing pollution. A comprehensive evaluation of the synthesis, mechanical properties, and performance of various trending and overlooked energetic polymers is described. Several outstanding candidates show promising properties to replace HTPB.

Revisiting the reactive chemistry of FOX-7: cyclization of FOX-7 affords the fused-ring polynitro compounds

A new FOX-7 derivatization strategy was developed to synthesize fused-ring and cyclic polynitro compounds, which enriches the unpredictable reactive chemistry of FOX-7.

C8N12O10: a promising energetic compound with excellent detonation performance and desirable sensitivity

A promising energetic molecule bis(4-nitro-1,2,5-oxadiazole-2-oxid-3-yl)-azo-1,2,4-oxadiazole was synthesized and characterized. It has high density, acceptable thermal stability, high heat of formation, outstanding detonation properties and desirable mechanical properties.

Energetic furazan–triazoles with high thermal stability and low sensitivity: facile synthesis, crystal structures and energetic properties

Mononitroamino-diamino and dinitramino-monoamino furazan–triazoles were designed and synthesized by a flexible method and showed excellent stability and high performance, respectively.

Synthesis and performance study of methylene-bridged bis(nitramino-1,2,4-oxadiazole) and its energetic salts

A series of new energetic compounds based on methylene-bridged bis(nitramino-1,2,4-oxadiazole) was synthesized through a simple, safe and efficient route and fully characterized.

Theoretical study on benzoheterocycle based energetic materials, effect of heterocyclic-fused, conjugation, hydrogen bond, and substitutional group on the detonation performance

In this paper, four series of benzoheterocycle based energetic materials (EMs) have been designed to plan out a strategy to improve the density and safety of EMs, such as combining the insensitive group with aminobenzene ring and the high energetic nitramine explosives, benzo-heterocycle mother ring, designing multi-nitrogen heterocycles with a conjugated system containing N-N and C-N high energy bonds, and hydrogen bonding. Their optimized structure and detonation properties were first calculated and discussed using DFT methods. After calculation, these designed explosives all showed good detonation from 7352 m/s to 8788 m/s. Among them, the compounds with six nitro groups, 1c, 2c, 3c, and 4c, exhibit better performance and rather poor impact sensitivity. However, we found that the compounds with five nitro groups and one amino group have a limited performance reduction and a rapid stability improvement. These four compounds, 1b, 2b, 3b, and 4b, have good detonation performance and better stability. Moreover, the synthesis routes for these four compounds were also designed. The precursor 4-0 and mononitro product 4-1 were successfully synthesized. Their 1H NMR, single crystal, and elemental analysis were also done to verify the structures.

Optimizing the oxygen balance by changing the A-site cations in molecular perovskite high-energetic materials

Two new members of molecular perovskite high-energetic materials exhibit optimized oxygen balances by changing the A-site cations.

A simple and versatile strategy for taming FOX-7

A novel derivatization strategy was developed for the exciting reactive chemistry of FOX-7.

Synthesis and properties of 5,5′-dinitramino-3,3′-bi(1,2,4-oxadiazole) and its energetic salts

In order to develop high energy density materials, 5,5′-dinitramino-3,3′-bi(1,2,4-oxadiazole) (3, DNABO), a new heterocyclic energetic compound, was synthesized by the simple nitration of 5,5′-diamino-3,3′-bi(1,2,4-oxadiazole) (2) with 95% fuming nitric acid.

A computational study on new oxidizers as replacements for ammonium perchlorate: tetranitroacetimidic acid and tetranitroacetamide

High energetic materials tetranitroacetimidic acid (TNAA) and tetranitroacetamide (NTNAA) with positive oxygen balance (OB = 30%) are highly potential replacements for ammonium perchlorate (AP). Tautomerization from TNAA to NTNAA is feasible, reflected by the activation energy of 160.2∼170.0 kJ/mol. No transition state appears on the C–NO2 bond breaking, which triggers pyrolysis of two compounds. The C–NO2 bond dissociation energies are 116.1∼167.2 kJ/mol and 120.4∼174.6 kJ/mol for TNAA and NTNAA, respectively. The chemical stabilities of TNAA and NTNAA are higher than that of the insensitive explosive 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene. TNAA and NTNAA possess lower impact sensitivities (h50 ≥ 77.51 cm) than AP does. Detonation properties of the composite explosives containing TNAA or NTNAA are comparable with that of the composite explosives containing AP. The acceptable stabilities, highly positive OB, environmentally friendly decomposition products, and the comparable ability to improve detonation performance of composite explosives show that TNAA and NTNAA are potential replacements for AP as an oxidizer used in composite explosives.

5,6-Di(2-fluoro-2,2-dinitroethoxy)furazano[3,4-b]pyrazine: a high performance melt-cast energetic material and its polycrystalline properties

A new high-energetic and insensitive melt-cast material was synthesized, and its polycrystalline properties were characterized and theoretically investigated.

The new role of 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene (FOX-7): two unexpected reactions

Two unexpected reactions of FOX-7 were studied. The reaction to form MNTzA is unusual among the syntheses of 2,4,5-trisubstituted 1,2,3-triazole compounds.

Recent advances in new oxidizers for solid rocket propulsion

Recent progress in the synthesis and modification of green oxidizers and their application in solid rocket propellant formulations during these last few decades are reviewed.

Comparative simulation study of chemical synthesis of functional DADNE material

Amorphous molecular simulation to model the reaction species in the synthesis of chemically inert and energetic 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (DADNE) explosive material was performed in this work. Nitromethane was selected as the starting reactant to undergo halogenation, nitration, deprotonation, intermolecular condensation, and dehydration to produce the target DADNE product. The Materials Studio (MS) forcite program allowed fast energy calculations and reliable geometric optimization of all aqueous molecular reaction systems (0.1-0.5 M) at 283 K and 298 K. The MS forcite-computed and Gaussian polarizable continuum model (PCM)-computed results were analyzed and compared in order to explore feasible reaction pathways under suitable conditions for the synthesis of DADNE. Through theoretical simulation, the findings revealed that synthesis was possible, and a total energy barrier of 449.6 kJ mol^-1 needed to be overcome in order to carry out the reaction according to MS calculation of the energy barriers at each stage at 283 K, as shown by the reaction profiles. Local analysis of intermolecular interaction, together with calculation of the stabilization energy of each reaction system, provided information that can be used as a reference regarding molecular integrated stability. Graphical Abstract Materials Studio software has been suggested for the computation and simulation of DADNE synthesis.

Comparative theoretical kinetics and thermodynamics study on high-energy insensitive explosive 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene synthesis

Two synthesis methods were investigated in this study in order to explore feasible reaction pathways to obtain the target DADNE product: (1) the nitration of tetrahalogen ethene and (2) the reaction of acetamidine hydrochloride with dicarbonyl dichloride. Through theoretical simulation, the findings revealed that synthesis was possible, starting from acetamidine hydrochloride in a hydrated environment, followed by subsequent reaction routes via cyclization of the methoxy-substituted acetamidine anion intermediate with oxalyl chloride to form 2-methoxy-2-methyl-imidazolan-4,5-dione, acid-catalyzed synthesis of 2-methylene-imidazolan-4,5-dione, nitration using nitric acid to obtain 2-dinitromethylene-imidazolan-4,5-dione, and hydrolysis to produce 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene. A total energy of 1048.4 kJ mol(-1) was needed to carry out the reaction according to calculation of the energy barriers at each stage, as shown by the reaction profiles.

From FOX-7 to H-FOX to insensitive energetic materials with hypergolic properties

Nitrogen/halogen rich derivatives, , , , and of FOX-7 (1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene), and H-FOX (1-hydrazinyl-2,2-dinitroethenamine) have been synthesized, characterized and found to exhibit good energetic properties. Compound displays hypergolic properties with commonly utilized fuels such as monomethyl hydrazine (MMH), and hydrazine hydrate (HH), as well as with ethylenediamine (EN), and 1,3-diaminopropane (DAP) showing ignition delay times between 2.5 to 10 ms. Additionally, the hypergolic properties of 4 and 8 were further studied by using ammonia borane as a fuel solubilized in a green ionic liquid, 1-allyl-3-methyl imidazolium dicyanamide, (1 : 1 molar ratio). This is a new role for a derivative of H-FOX. The energetic and physical properties of all the molecules were either measured or calculated. All of materials were characterized by NMR, and infrared spectra, elemental analyses, and differential scanning calorimetry. Single crystal X-ray structural measurements for and were helpful in their confirmation.

Dancing with Energetic Nitrogen Atoms: Versatile N-Functionalization Strategies for N-Heterocyclic Frameworks in High Energy Density Materials

Nitrogen-rich heterocycles represent a unique class of energetic frameworks featuring high heats of formation and high nitrogen content, which have generated considerable research interest in the field of high energy density materials (HEDMs). Although traditional C-functionalization methodology of aromatic hydrocarbons has been fully established, studies on N-functionalization strategies of nitrogen-containing heterocycles still have great potential to be exploited by virtue of forming diverse N-X bonds (X = C, N, O, B, halogen, etc.), which are capable of regulating energy performance and the stability of the resulting energetic compounds. In this sense, versatile N-functionalization of N-heterocyclic frameworks offers a flexible strategy to meet the requirements of developing new-generation HEDMs. In this Account, the role of strategic N-functionalization in designing new energetic frameworks, including the formation of N-C, N-N, N-O, N-B and N-halogen bonds, is emphasized. In the family of N-functionalized HEDMs, energetic derivatives, by virtue of forming N-C bonds, are the most widely used type due to the good nucleophilic capacity of most heterocyclic backbones. Although introduction of carbon tends to decrease energetic performance, significant improvement in material sensitivity makes this strategy attractive for safety concerns. More importantly, most "explosophores" can be readily introduced into the N-C linkage, thus providing a promising route to various HEDMs. Formation of additional N-N bonds typically gives rise to higher heats of formation, implying the potential enhancement in detonation performance. In many cases, the increased hydrogen bonding interactions within N-N functionalized heterocycles also improve thermal stability accordingly. Introduction of a single N,N'-azo bridge into several azole moieties leads to an extended nitrogen chain, demonstrating a new strategy for designing high-nitrogen compounds. The strategy of N-O functionalization has become an increasingly efficient tool for exploring new HEDMs with both high energy and low sensitivity. As a highly dense building block, introduction of oxygen not only improves density significantly but also gives rise to a better oxygen balance. Furthermore, the N-O functionalized strategy is highly suitable for a broad variety of N-heterocycles including five-membered azoles and six-membered azines. Newly explored N-halogen and N-B functionalization strategies have endowed the resulting HEDMs with some new energetic characteristics. Typical examples include the N-halogenated fused triazole and FOX-7 as potential hypergolic oxidizers with very short ignition delay times. In addition, some exploratory studies of N-B functionalized heterocycles have expanded energetic applications as hypergolic ionic liquids, green pyrotechnic colorants, and high-oxygen carriers. Overall, flexible N-functionalization methodologies involving different N-X bond formation have not only provided an efficient approach to diverse energetic ingredients but also expanded the application scope of energetic materials. Discussion and perspectives of N-functionalized protocols are given to summarize possible structure-property correlations, thus providing efficient guidelines for future design of new HEDMs.

Recent progress in taming FOX-7 (1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene)

The main advances in the reactions of FOX-7 over recent years, including condensation, halogenation, nitration, acid–base reactions and coordination reactions, are covered in this Review.