Advances in science and technology of modern energetic materials: an overview.

Energetic salts offer many advantages over conventional energetic molecular compounds. The use of nitrogen containing anions and cations contributes to high heats of formations and high densities. Their low carbon and hydrogen content gives rise to a good oxygen balance. The decomposition of these compounds is predominantly through the generation of dinitrogen which makes them very promising candidates for highly energetic materials for industrial or military applications.

Energetic nitrogen-rich salts and ionic liquids.

A review of advanced high performance, insensitive and thermally stable energetic materials emerging for military and space applications

Environmentally compatible next generation green energetic materials (GEMs).

http://chemistry-chemists.com/chemister/Warning/Explosives/ExplosiveAbstacts/review-energetic-materials.pdf

A review of energetic materials synthesis

A less sensitive explosive, 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one. The compound 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO) has a crystal density of 1.93 g/cm 3 and calculated detonation velocity and pressure equivalent to those of RDX. It can be prepared in high yield from inexpensive starting materials in a safe synthesis. Results from initial small-scale sensitivity tests indicate that NTO is less sensitive than RDX and HMX in all respects. A 4.13 cm diameter, unconfined plate-dent test at 92% of crystal density gave the detonation pressure predicted for NTO by the BKW calculation.

3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one, a less sensitive explosive

The sensitive explosives used in initiating devices like primers and detonators are called primary explosives. Successful detonations of secondary explosives are accomplished by suitable sources of initiation energy that is transmitted directly from the primaries or through secondary explosive boosters. Reliable initiating mechanisms are available in numerous forms of primers and detonators depending upon the nature of the secondary explosives. The technology of initiation devices used for military and civilian purposes continues to expand owing to variations in initiating method, chemical composition, quantity, sensitivity, explosive performance, and other necessary built-in mechanisms. Although the most widely used primaries contain toxic lead azide and lead styphnate, mixtures of thermally unstable primaries, like diazodinitrophenol and tetracene, or poisonous agents, like antimony sulfide and barium nitrate, are also used. Novel environmentally friendly primary explosives are expanded here to include cat[FeII(NT)3(H2O)3], cat2[FeII(NT)4(H2O)2], cat3[FeII(NT)5(H2O)], and cat4[FeII(NT)6] with cat = cation and NT− = 5-nitrotetrazolato-N2. With available alkaline, alkaline earth, and organic cations as partners, four series of 5-nitrotetrazolato-N2-ferrate hierarchies have been prepared that provide a plethora of green primaries with diverse initiating sensitivity and explosive performance. They hold great promise for replacing not only toxic lead primaries but also thermally unstable primaries and poisonous agents. Strategies are also described for the systematic preparation of coordination complex green primaries based on appropriate selection of ligands, metals, and synthetic procedures. These strategies allow for maximum versatility in initiating sensitivity and explosive performance while retaining properties required for green primaries.

https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/103/27/10322.full.pdf

Green primary explosives: 5-nitrotetrazolato-N2-ferrate hierarchies.

An improved synthesis of 3,6-diamino-1,2,4,5-tetrazine. II: From triaminoguanidine and 2,4-pentanedione

Treatment of the ammonium salt of 3,5-dinitro-1H-1,2,4-triazole (ADNT) with hydrazine hydrate gives 5-amino-3-nitro-1H-1,2,4-triazole (ANTA) in greater than 90% yields. In addition to its potential use as an insensitive high explosive, ANTA has been shown to be a useful intermediate for the preparation of other explosives.

Michael D. Coburn

Papers

3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one, a less sensitive explosive

Green primary explosives: 5-nitrotetrazolato-N2-ferrate hierarchies.

An improved synthesis of 3,6-diamino-1,2,4,5-tetrazine. II: From triaminoguanidine and 2,4-pentanedione

An improved synthesis of 5-amino-3-nitro-1H-1,2,4-triazole (ANTA), a useful intermediate for the preparation of insensitive high explosives

Picrylamino-substituted heterocycles. II. Furazans