Understanding the reactivity of bis(propargyl) aromatic esters towards GAP: a theoretical exploration

The reactivity of novel bis(propargyl) aromatic esters as a potential replacement of conventional hazardous isocyanate-based curing agents towards curing of the energetic binder GAP by means of density functional methods is explored.

The activation strain model and molecular orbital theory

The activation strain model is a powerful tool for understanding reactivity, or inertness, of molecular species. This is done by relating the relative energy of a molecular complex along the reaction energy profile to the structural rigidity of the reactants and the strength of their mutual interactions: ΔE(ζ) = ΔE_strain(ζ) + ΔE_int(ζ). We provide a detailed discussion of the model, and elaborate on its strong connection with molecular orbital theory. Using these approaches, a causal relationship is revealed between the properties of the reactants and their reactivity, e.g., reaction barriers and plausible reaction mechanisms. This methodology may reveal intriguing parallels between completely different types of chemical transformations. Thus, the activation strain model constitutes a unifying framework that furthers the development of cross-disciplinary concepts throughout various fields of chemistry. We illustrate the activation strain model in action with selected examples from literature. These examples demonstrate how the methodology is applied to different research questions, how results are interpreted, and how insights into one chemical phenomenon can lead to an improved understanding of another, seemingly completely different chemical process. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2015, 5:324-343. doi: 10.1002/wcms.1221.

Probing the compatibility of energetic binder poly-glycidyl nitrate with energetic plasticizers: thermal, rheological and DFT studies

The essential idea of developing energetic binders and plasticizers is to enhance the thermal stability and energy content, reduce the glass transition temperature and improve other mechanical properties of propellant and explosives formulations.