Multipurpose Energetic Materials by Shuffling Nitro Groups on a 3,3′‐Bipyrazole Moiety

Access Polyarylbipyrazoles via Palladium-Catalysis and Visible-Light-Driven C(sp3)-P(V) Cleavage Relay Strategy

An unprecedented palladium-catalyzed and visible-light-driven relay reaction of allenylphosphine oxide with in situ generated nitrile imines is presented for the direct synthesis of highly valuable polyarylbipyrazole skeletons. This one-pot strategy involves double 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and C(sp3)-P(V) bond cleavage under photocatalyst-free and mild reaction conditions. The approach features simple operation, a high step economy, and a broad substrate scope, affording the corresponding products in moderate to excellent yields.

Synthesis of Bridged Tetrazoles with Promising Properties and Potential Applications by a One-Step Finkelstein Reaction

Numerous nitramine bridged compounds which show promising combinations of properties have already been identified in the area of energetic materials. In this work, four new nitrazapropane bridged tetrazoles, as well as four new trinitrazaheptane tetrazoles and three oxapropane bridged tetrazoles were synthesized and fully characterized. These new compounds can all be synthesized by a simple, one-step synthesis using Finkelstein conditions. All of these new energetic materials were characterized using NMR spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray diffraction, vibrational analysis and elemental analysis. The thermal behaviour of these compounds was studied by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and partly by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The BAM standard method was used to determine the sensitivities towards impact (IS) and friction (FS). The enthalpies of formation were calculated at the CBS-4M level, and the energetic performances were calculated using the EXPLO5 (V6.06.01) computer code. The properties of the new compounds were compared to each other as well as to the known energetic material RDX. Moreover, the iron(II) and copper(II) perchlorate complexes with 1,3-bis-1,1-tetrazolylnitrazapropane as ligand were prepared and investigated.

Triazole-induced planarization of a twisted tetrazole-based molecule towards energetic materials with improved thermostability and insensitivity

Pursuing the structural planarization of energetic materials is an efficient method for achieving improved performance. Although many planar energetic molecules have been prepared so far, the innovation of advanced planar explosives still relies on the scientific intuition, experience and trial-and-error of researchers. Now, a triazole-induced planarization strategy is proposed based on the regulation of aromaticity, charge distribution, and hydrogen bonds. The incorporation of a triazole ring into the non-planar molecule 5-amino-1-nitriminotetrazole (VII) results in a planar energetic material named N-[5-amino-1-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl]nitramide (3). Compared with VII (T_d = 85 °C; IS < 0.25 J; FS < 5 N), 3 shows remarkably improved thermal stability (T_d = 145 °C) and reduced sensitivities (IS = 20 J; FS > 360 N). The variation of thermal stability and mechanical sensitivity from VII to 3 reflects the effectiveness and superiority of the planarization strategy. Benefiting from the properties of 3, its energetic salt 5 exhibits excellent overall performance (D_v = 9342 m s^-1; P = 31.6 GPa; T_d = 201 °C; IS = 20 J; FS = 360 N), which is comparable to that of HMX. Moreover, the triazole-induced planarization strategy may serve as a guide for exploring advanced 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.

Dehydrogenative Syntheses of Biazoles via a "Pre-Join" Approach

The structural motif of biazoles is the predominant substructure of many natural products, pharmaceuticals, and organic materials. Considerable efforts have focused on synthesizing these compounds; however, a limited number of processes have been reported for the efficient formation of biazoles. Herein, we report a "pre-join" approach for the dehydrogenative synthesis of biazoles, which are challenging to prepare using conventional methods. A bench-stable and easily synthesized pyrazine-based group is critical for this transformation. This strategy enables the homocoupling of biazoles and the heterocoupling of two different azoles. Due to the broad substrate scope, this strategy exhibits potential for use in other fields, such as medicine, materials, and natural product chemistry.

1-(Azidomethyl)-5H-Tetrazole: A Powerful New Ligand for Highly Energetic Coordination Compounds

Highly energetic 1-(azidomethyl)-5H-tetrazole (AzMT, 3) has been synthesized and characterized. This completes the series of 1-(azidoalkyl)-5H-tetrazoles represented by 1-(azidoethyl)-5H-tetrazole (AET) and 1-(azidopropyl)-5H-tetrazole (APT). AzMT was thoroughly analyzed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments, elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and multinuclear (¹ H, ¹³ C, ¹⁴ N, ¹⁵ N) NMR measurements. Several energetic coordination compounds (ECCs) of 3d metals (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn) and silver in combination with anions such as (per)chlorate, mono- and dihydroxy-trinitrophenolate were prepared, giving insight into the coordination behavior of AzMT as a ligand. The synthesized ECCs were also analyzed by X-ray diffraction experiments, elemental analysis, and IR spectroscopy. Differential thermal analysis for all compounds was conducted, and the sensitivity towards external stimuli (impact, friction, and ESD) was measured. Due to the high enthalpy of formation of AzMT (+654.5 kJ mol^-1 ), some of the resulting coordination compounds are extremely sensitive, yet are able to undergo deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) and initiate pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). Therefore, they are to be ranked as primary explosives.

Polynitro-Functionalized Azopyrazole with High Performance and Low Sensitivity as Novel Energetic Materials

The development of energetic materials is still facing a huge challenge because the relationship between energy and sensitivity is usually contradictory: high energy is always accompanied with low sensitivity. Here, a high-energy, low-sensitivity energetic polynitro-functionalized azopyrazole (TNAP) and its energetic salts have been synthesized. The structural characterization of these compounds was analyzed by elemental analysis, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies, and infrared spectroscopy. The single-crystal structure of compounds K₂TNAP, TNAP, 5, and 6 was obtained by X-ray diffraction, and K₂TNAP is a novel energetic metal-organic framework. The calculated detonation properties of TNAP (9040 m s^-1 and 36.0 GPa) are superior to that of RDX (8796 m s^-1 and 33.6 GPa). In addition, TNAP also has lower mechanical sensitivity (IS > 40 J, FS = 244 N) and higher decomposition temperature (T_d = 221 °C) than RDX (IS = 7.4 J, FS = 120 N, and T_d = 204 °C). These experimental results suggest that TNAP may become a new candidate for secondary explosives.

Nitrification Progress of Nitrogen-Rich Heterocyclic Energetic Compounds: A Review

As a momentous energetic group, a nitro group widely exists in high-energy-density materials (HEDMs), such as trinitrotoluene (TNT), 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB), cyclo-1,3,5-trimethylene-2,4,6-trinitramine (RDX), etc. The nitro group has a significant effect on improving the oxygen balance and detonation performances of energetic materials (EMs). Moreover, the nitro group is a strong electron-withdrawing group, and it can increase the acidity of the acidic hydrogen-containing nitrogen-rich energetic compounds to facilitate the construction of energetic ionic salts. Thus, it is possible to design nitro-nitrogen-rich energetic compounds with adjustable properties. In this paper, the nitration methods of azoles, including imidazole, pyrazole, triazole, tetrazole, and oxadiazole, as well as azines, including pyrazine, pyridazine, triazine, and tetrazine, have been concluded. Furthermore, the prospect of the future development of nitrogen-rich heterocyclic energetic compounds has been stated, so as to provide references for researchers who are engaged in the synthesis of EMs.

Novel polynitro azoxypyrazole-based energetic materials with high performance

Novel polynitro azoxypyrazole-based energetic compounds 1,2-bis (4-nitro-1H-pyrazol-5-yl) diazene 1-oxide (3) and 1,2-bis (1,4-dinitro-1H-pyrazol-3-yl) diazene 1-oxide (4) were synthesized from 5-amino-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile by optimized reactions. Their structures were characterized by elemental analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Compound 3 exhibits high thermal stability (239 °C), low mechanical sensitivity (IS = 22 J, FS = 240 N) and moderate detonation performance (D_v = 8272 m s^-1, P = 28.1 GPa). Compound 4 shows moderate thermal stability (161 °C), decent mechanical sensitivity and higher detonation performance (D_v = 9228 m s^-1, P = 38.7 GPa) compared to that of RDX. These newly developed strategies for constructing novel energetic compounds enrich the content of the ever-expanding energetic materials.

New Promises from an Old Friend: Iodine-Rich Compounds as Prospective Energetic Biocidal Agents

For a very long time, frequent occurrences of biocrises have wreaked havoc on human beings, animals, and the environment. As a result, it is necessary to develop biocidal agents to destroy or neutralize active agents by releasing large amounts of strong biocides which are obtained upon detonation. Iodine is an efficient biocidal agent for bacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses, spores, and protozoan parasites, and it is the sole element in the periodic table that can destroy microbes without contaminating the environment. Based on chemical biology, the mechanism of iodine as a bactericide may arise from oxidation and iodination reactions of cellular proteins and nucleic acids. However, because of the high vapor pressure causing elemental iodine to sublime readily at room temperature, it is inconvenient to use this material in its normal solid state directly as a biocidal agent under ambient conditions. Iodine-rich compounds where iodine is firmly bonded in molecules as a C-I or I-O moiety have been observed to be among the most promising energetic biocidal compounds. Gaseous products comprised of large amounts of iodine or iodine-containing components as strong biocides are released in the decomposition or explosion of iodine-rich compounds. Because of the detonation pressure, the iodine species are distributed over a large area greatly improving the efficacy of the system and requiring considerably less effort compared to traditional biocidal methods. The commercially available tetraiodomethane and tetraiodoethene, which possess superb iodine content also have the disadvantages of volatility, light sensitivity, and chemically reactivity, and therefore, are not suitable for use directly as biocidal agents. It is absolutely critical to synthesize new iodine-rich compounds with good thermal and chemical stabilities.In this Account, we describe our strategies for the syntheses of energetic iodine-rich compounds while maintaining the maximum iodine content with concomitant stability and routes for the synthesis of oxygen-containing iodine-rich compounds to improve the oxygen balance and achieve both high-energy and high-iodine content. In the other work, which involves cocrystals, iodine-containing polymers were also summarized. It is hoped that this Account will provide guidelines for the design and syntheses of new iodine-rich compounds and a route for the development of inexpensive, more efficient, and safer iodine-rich antibiological warfare agents of the future.

Interpol review of detection and characterization of explosives and explosives residues 2016-2019

This review paper covers the forensic-relevant literature for the analysis and detection of explosives and explosives residues from 2016-2019 as a part of the 19th Interpol International Forensic Science Managers Symposium. The review papers are also available at the Interpol website at: https://www.interpol.int/Resources/Documents#Publications.

Nitrogen-Rich Tetrazolo[1,5-b]pyridazine: Promising Building Block for Advanced Energetic Materials

Two metal-free explosives, tetrazolo[1,5-b]pyridazine-containing molecules [6-azido-8-nitrotetrazolo[1,5-b]pyridazine-7-amine (3at) and 8-nitrotetrazolo[1,5-b]pyridazine-6,7-diamine (6)], were obtained via straightforward two-step synthetic routes from commercially available reagents. Compound 3at displays an excellent detonation performance (D_v = 8746 m s^-1 and P = 31.5 GPa) that is superior to commercial primary explosives such as lead azide and diazodinitrophenol (DDNP). Compound 6 has superior thermal stability, remarkable insensitivity, and good detonation performance, strongly suggesting it as an acceptable secondary explosive. The initiating ability of compound 3at has been tested by detonating 500 mg of RDX with a surprisingly low minimum primary charge of 40 mg. The extraordinary initiating power surpasses conventional primary explosives, such as commercial DDNP (70 mg) and reported 6-nitro-7-azido-pyrazol[3,4-d][1,2,3]triazine-2-oxide (ICM-103) (60 mg). The outstanding detonation power of 3at contributes to its future prospects as a promising green primary explosive. In addition, the environmentally benign methodology for the synthesis of 3at effectively shortens the time from laboratory-scale research to practical applications.

Effects of boron doping on structural, electronic, elastic, and optical properties of energetic crystal 2,6-diamino-3,5-dinitropyrazine-1-oxide: a theoretical study using the first principles calculation and Hirshfeld surface analysis

Boron-contained compounds are one kind of new energetic materials, and have been synthesized successfully lately. However, the effects of introduced boron atoms into the energetic system are unclear. In this work, using the known insensitive energy crystal 2,6-diamino-3,5-dinitropyrazine-l-oxide (LLM-105) as the model compound, boron doping effects on its crystal structure, band gap and structure, intermolecular contacts, sensitivity, elastic property, optical absorption behavior, and dielectric function were studied by the first principles calculations and Hirshfeld surface analysis. One B atom was doped at four different doping sites in the ring (two kinds of nitrogen N1/N2 and carbon atoms C3/C4), respectively, and formed four new crystals LLM-105-B1/B2/B3/B4. The results showed that the B atom and its doping site both make great influence on the structure and properties. The B doping obviously decreased the band gap and weakened the strength of intermolecular contacts, giving rise to higher sensitivity and worse safety. Especially for LLM-105-B4 which has a 0 eV value of band gap, the doped B atom made great contributions to the density of states around the Fermi level, leading to the suddenly move down of lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and directly link of total density of states at the Fermi level. Doping the B atom at the site C3 improved the ductility and plasticity of LLM-105, while LLM-105-B2 was found to be the most brittle and anisotropic crystal. Doping B atoms at sites N2 and C4 increased the absorption to green, orange, and red lights, while the absorption strength to the infrared light was enhanced in most cases. The dielectric constant and polarity were significantly increased by doping boron atoms at sites C3 and C4.

Molecular and Crystal Features of Thermostable Energetic Materials: Guidelines for Architecture of "Bridged" Compounds

Extensive density functional theory (DFT) calculation and data analysis on molecular and crystal level features of 60 reported energetic materials (EMs) allowed us to define key descriptors that are characteristics of these compounds' thermostability. We see these descriptors as reminiscent of "Lipinski's rule of 5", which revolutionized the design of new orally active pharmaceutical molecules. The proposed descriptors for thermostable EMs are of a type of molecular design, location and type of the weakest bond in the energetic molecule, as well as specific ranges of oxygen balance, crystal packing coefficient, Hirshfeld surface hydrogen bonding, and crystal lattice energy. On this basis, we designed three new thermostable EMs containing bridged, 3,5-dinitropyrazole moieties, HL3, HL7, and HL9, which were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated in small-scale field detonation experiments. The best overall performing compound HL7 exhibited an onset decomposition temperature of 341 °C and has a density of 1.865 g cm-3, and the calculated velocity of detonation and maximum detonation pressure were 8517 m s-1 and 30.6 GPa, respectively. Considering HL7's impressive safety parameters [impact sensitivity (IS) = 22 J; friction sensitivity (FS) = 352; and electrostatic discharge sensitivity (ESD) = 1.05 J] and the results of small-scale field detonation experiments, the proposed guidelines should further promote the rational design of novel thermostable EMs, suitable for deep well drilling, space exploration, and other high-value defense and civil applications.

1,3,4-Oxadiazole based thermostable energetic materials: synthesis and structure–property relationship

A combination of 1,3,4-oxadiazole and pyrazole produces a series of new compounds with satisfactory energetic properties.

New pyrazole energetic materials and their energetic salts: combining the dinitromethyl group with nitropyrazole

In this work, a series of pyrazole-derived energetic compounds were successfully synthesized. These energetic compounds were fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The structures of compounds 5, 6, 7 and 7a were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The physicochemical and energetic properties of all synthesized energetic compounds, including density, thermal stability and energetic performance, were investigated. The structure-property relationship was illustrated using two-dimensional fingerprint plots based on Hirshfeld surfaces, NCI plots and ESP of 7 and 7a. Among these energetic compounds, the hydroxylammonium salt 7b exhibited satisfactory calculated detonation performance (8700 m s-1), which was comparable to the commonly used highly explosive RDX (8748 m s-1). The potassium salt 5 was tested for its detonation ability by detonating RDX. The result indicates that compound 5 could be used as a potential green primary explosive.

1,2,4-Oxadiazole-Bridged Polynitropyrazole Energetic Materials with Enhanced Thermal Stability and Low Sensitivity

A family of mono or di(1,2,4-oxadiazole)-bridged polynitropyrazole derivatives with C-nitro/N-nitro functionalities is reported. All compounds were fully characterized by IR, NMR (¹ H, ¹³ C), elemental analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The solid-state structure features were further investigated with X-ray diffraction. Of these, compounds 3,5-bis(3,4-dinitro-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole (3 a) and 5,5'-bis(3,4-dinitro-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-3,3'-bi(1,2,4-oxadiazole) (3 b) possess high thermal stability (3 a: T_dec =274 °C; 3 b: T_dec =272 °C), sensitivity (IS >30 J, FS >360 N) and comparable detonation properties (3 a: D_v =8741 m s^-1 , P=34.0 GPa; 3 b: D_v =8685 m s^-1 , P=33.4 Gpa) to RDX. In addition, 3,5-bis(4-nitro-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole (4 a) and 5,5'-bis(4-nitro-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-3,3'-bi(1,2,4-oxadiazole) (4 b) have high decomposition temperature (4 a: T_dec =314 °C; 4 b: T_dec =317 °C), low sensitivity (IS >40 J; FS>360 N) and superior detonation performances (4 a: D_v =8027 m s^-1 , P=26.4 GPa; 4 b: D_v =7991 m s^-1 , P=25.2 Gpa) than conventional heat-resistant explosive hexanitrostilbene (HNS: T_dec =318 °C; IS=5 J; FS=240 N; D_v =7612 m s^-1 , P=24.3 GPa), thus suggesting their potential application as heat-resistant explosives.

A green metal-free fused-ring initiating substance

Over the past century, the search for lead-free, environmentally friendly initiating substances has been a highly challenging task in the field of energetic materials. Here, an organic primary explosive featuring a fused-ring structure, 6-nitro-7-azido-pyrazol[3,4-d][1,2,3]triazine-2-oxide, was designed and synthesized through a facile two-step reaction from commercially available reagents. This organic initiating substance meets nearly all of the stringent criteria of environmentally friendly primary explosives for commercial applications: it is free of toxic metals and perchlorate, has a high density, high priming ability, unusual sensitivities towards non-explosive stimuli, excellent environmental resistance, decent thermal stability, high detonation performance, satisfactory flowability and pressure durability, and is low-cost and easy to scale-up. These combined properties and performance measures surpass the current and widely used organic primary explosive, DDNP. The fused-ring organic primary explosive reported herein may find real-world application as an initiating explosive device in the near future.