The gas-phase decomposition of hydrazine and its methyl derivatives

Amorphous AlN films grown by ALD from trimethylaluminum and monomethylhydrazine

The great interest in aluminium nitride thin films has been attributed to their excellent dielectric, thermal and mechanical properties. Here we present the results of amorphous AlN films obtained by atomic layer deposition. We used trimethylaluminum and monomethylhydrazine as the precursors at a deposition temperature of 375-475 °C. The structural and mechanical properties and chemical composition of the synthesized films were investigated in detail by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron and probe microscopy and nanoindentation. The obtained films were compact and continuous, exhibiting amorphous nature with homogeneous in-depth composition, at an oxygen content of as low as 4 at%. The mechanical properties were comparable to those of AlN films produced by other techniques.

Contributions of Experimental Data Obtained in Concentrated Mixtures to Kinetic Studies: Application to Monomethylhydrazine Pyrolysis

Experimental, numerical, and theoretical studies are performed to understand the explosive thermal decomposition of monomethylhydrazine/argon mixtures. Ignition delays of concentrated MMH/Ar mixtures (20-30%) have been measured behind a reflected shock wave around 1000 K and 1 atm. Although several detailed chemical kinetic models have predictive abilities for diluted and highly diluted mixtures, none of them showed predictive for concentrated mixtures. A new kinetic model is proposed, in which numerous rate constants and thermochemical data are reassessed based on theoretical calculations, with the purpose to determine whether, or to what extent, trends derived from diluted or highly diluted MMH/Ar mixtures can explain observations in concentrated MMH mixtures. The present kinetic model is found to predict speciation experimental profiles in diluted MMH/Ar mixtures and is a significant improvement in predicting the induction delays of concentrated MMH/Ar mixtures.

Progress and Prospective of Nitrogen-Based Alternative Fuels

Alternative fuels are essential to enable the transition to a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supply. Synthetic fuels derived from renewable energies can act as energy storage media, thus mitigating the effects of fossil fuels on environment and health. Their economic viability, environmental impact, and compatibility with current infrastructure and technologies are fuel and power source specific. Nitrogen-based fuels pose one possible synthetic fuel pathway. In this review, we discuss the progress and current research on utilization of nitrogen-based fuels in power applications, covering the complete fuel cycle. We cover the production, distribution, and storage of nitrogen-based fuels. We assess much of the existing literature on the reactions involved in the ammonia to nitrogen atom pathway in nitrogen-based fuel combustion. Furthermore, we discuss nitrogen-based fuel applications ranging from combustion engines to gas turbines, as well as their exploitation by suggested end-uses. Thereby, we evaluate the potential opportunities and challenges of expanding the role of nitrogen-based molecules in the energy sector, outlining their use as energy carriers in relevant fields.

Secondary channels in the thermal decomposition of monomethylhydrazine (CH3NHNH2)

The possible role of molecular decomposition channels in MMH is explored through additional investigations on triplet channels, roaming radical channels, and previously unexplored pathways on the potential energy surface.

Thermochemical and Kinetic Analysis of the Thermal Decomposition of Monomethylhydrazine: An Elementary Reaction Mechanism

The reaction kinetics for the thermal decomposition of monomethylhydrazine (MMH) was studied with quantum Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel (QRRK) theory and a master equation analysis for pressure falloff. Thermochemical properties were determined by ab initio and density functional calculations. The entropies, S degrees (298.15 K), and heat capacities, Cp degrees (T) (0 < or = T/K < or = 1500), from vibrational, translational, and external rotational contributions were calculated using statistical mechanics based on the vibrational frequencies and structures obtained from the density functional study. Potential barriers for internal rotations were calculated at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level, and hindered rotational contributions to S degrees (298.15 K) and Cp degrees (T) were calculated by solving the Schrödinger equation with free rotor wave functions, and the partition coefficients were treated by direct integration over energy levels of the internal rotation potentials. Enthalpies of formation, DeltafH degrees (298.15 K), for the parent MMH (CH3NHNH2) and its corresponding radicals CH3N*NH2, CH3NHN*H, and C*H2NHNH2 were determined to be 21.6, 48.5, 51.1, and 62.8 kcal mol(-1) by use of isodesmic reaction analysis and various ab initio methods. The kinetic analysis of the thermal decomposition, abstraction, and substitution reactions of MMH was performed at the CBS-QB3 level, with those of N-N and C-N bond scissions determined by high level CCSD(T)/6-311++G(3df,2p)//MPWB1K/6-31+G(d,p) calculations. Rate constants of thermally activated MMH to dissociation products were calculated as functions of pressure and temperature. An elementary reaction mechanism based on the calculated rate constants, thermochemical properties, and literature data was developed to model the experimental data on the overall MMH thermal decomposition rate. The reactions of N-N and C-N bond scission were found to be the major reaction paths for the modeling of MMH homogeneous decomposition at atmospheric conditions.

Direct dynamics study on the hydrogen abstraction reactions N2H4+R→N2H3+RH (R=NH2,CH3)

We present a direct ab initio dynamics study on the hydrogen abstraction reactions N(2)H(4)+R-->N(2)H(3)+RH (R=NH(2),CH(3)), which are predicted to have six possible reaction channels for NH(2) abstraction and four for CH(3) abstraction caused by the different N(2)H(4) isomers and various attacking orientations of foreign radical to N(2)H(4). The structures and frequencies at the stationary points and the points along the minimum energy paths (MEPs) of all reaction channels are obtained at the UMP2(full)6-31+G(d,p) level of theory. Energetic information of stationary points and the points along the MEPs is further refined by means of MC-QCISD method. The rate constants of these channels are calculated using the improved canonical variational transition-state theory with the small-curvature tunneling correction (ICVT/SCT) method. The calculated results show that the favorable reaction channels are channels (n1) and (n4) as well as (c1) and (c3) (refer to Scheme 1) in the whole temperature range. The total ICVT/SCT rate constants of all channels for the two reactions at the MC-QCISDUMP2(full)6-31+G(d,p) level are both in good agreement with the available experimental data, and corresponding three-parameter expressions of k(ICVTSCT) in 220-3000 K are fitted as 6.46 x 10(-15)(T298)(3.60) exp(-386T) cm(3) mol(-1) s(-1) for NH(2) abstraction and 1.04 x 10(-14)(T298)(4.00) exp(-2037T) cm(3) mol(-1) s(-1) for CH(3) abstraction. Additionally, the long range interaction between the H atom of X-H bond in foreign radicals and the lone pair on the nonreactive N atom of the transition states is further discussed to explain the various transition-state numbers of the two similar hydrogen abstraction reactions.