Bond charge depletion, bond strength and the impact sensitivity of high energetic 1,3,5-triamino 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) molecule: A theoretical charge density analysis

Photodissociation Dynamics of the Highly Stable ortho-Nitroaniline Cation

0rtho-Nitroaniline (ONA) is a model for the insensitive high explosive 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) that shares strong hydrogen bonding character between adjacent nitro and amino groups. This work reports femtosecond time-resolved mass spectrometry (FTRMS) measurements and theoretical calculations that explain the high stability of the ONA cation compared with related nitroaromatic molecules. Ab initio calculations found that the lowest-lying electronic excited state of the ONA cation, D1, lies more than 2 eV above the ground state, and the energetic barriers to rearrangement and dissociation reactions exceed this D1 energy. These theoretical results were confirmed by FTRMS pump-probe measurements showing that (1) fragment ions represented less than 30% of the total ion yield when a 1014 W cm-2, 1300 nm, 20 fs pump pulse was used to ionize ONA; and (2) 3.1 eV (400 nm) photons were required to induce dissociation of the ONA cation. Stronger coupling between the ground D0 and excited D4 states of the ONA cation at the geometry of neutral ONA resulted in a transient enhancement of fragment ion yields at <300 fs pump-probe delay times, prior to relaxation of the ONA cation to its optimal geometry.

High-energetic and low-sensitive 1,3,5-triamino 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) crystal: first principles investigation and Hirshfeld surface analysis

The N–H⋯O hydrogen bonding between neighboring TATB molecules within a planar layer cooperates with π⋯π interaction between two adjacent molecules from two adjacent layers in the TATB crystal.

Review of the molecular and crystal correlations on sensitivities of energetic materials

Highly efficient design on the levels of molecule and crystal, as well as formulation, is highly desired for accelerating the development of energetic materials (EMs). Sensitivity is one of the most important characteristics of EMs and should be compulsorily considered in the design. However, owing to multiple factors responsible for the sensitivity, it usually undergoes a low predictability. Thus, it becomes urgent to clarify which factors govern the sensitivity and what is the importance of these factors. The present article focuses upon the progress of the molecular and crystal correlations on the sensitivity, and the molecule-based numerical models for sensitivity prediction in the past decades. On the molecular level, composition, geometric structure, electronic structure, energy and reactivity can be correlated with the sensitivity; while the sensitivity can be also related with molecular packing pattern, intermolecular interaction, crystal morphology, crystal size and distribution, crystal surface/interface and crystal defect on the crystal level. And most of these factors, in particle on the crystal level, have been employed as variables in numerical models for predicting sensitivity of categorized EMs. Besides, we stress that more attention should be paid to the sensitivity correlations on the inherent structures of EMs, molecule and crystal packing, because they can be readily dealt by molecular simulations nowadays, facilitating to reveal the physical nature of sensitivity.

Charge-density distribution in sodium bis(4-nitrophenyl)phosphate

The electron-density distribution in sodium bis(4-nitrophenyl)phosphate has been analyzed using the multipole refinement of X-ray diffraction data and of theoretical density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. The ester P—O bonds are particularly long and their topological parameters (density at the bond critical point, Laplacian) are lower than for other P—O bonds. Some disagreement between the experimental and theoretical charges of atoms constituting the nitro groups has been observed and the possible reasons are discussed. Weak polarization effects produced by sodium cations may be observed within the phosphate fragment; they are more manifest in the case of the nitro groups.