8 research outputs found
Pushing the limits of energetic materials - the synthesis and characterization of dihydroxylammonium 5,5'-bistetrazole-1,1'-diolate
The safe preparation and characterization (XRD, NMR and vibrational spectroscopy, DSC, mass spectrometry, sensitivities) of a new explosive dihydroxylammonium 5,5'-bistetrazole-1,1'-diolate (TKX-50) that outperforms all other commonly used explosive materials is detailed. While much publicized high-performing explosives, such as octanitrocubane and CL-20, have been at the forefront of public awareness, this compound differs in that it is simple and cheap to prepare from commonly available chemicals. TKX-50 expands upon the newly exploited field of tetrazole oxide chemistry to produce a material that not only is easily prepared and exceedingly powerful, but also possesses the required thermal insensitivity, low toxicity, and safety of handling to replace the most commonly used military explosive, RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane). In addition, the crystal structures of the intermediates 5,5'-bistetrazole-1,1'-diol dihydrate, 5,5'-bistetrazole-1,1'-diol dimethanolate and dimethylammonium 5,5'-bistetrazole-1,1'-diolate were determined and presented
A Laboratory Preparation of High-Purity Calcium Cyanamide
Calcium cyanamide is an important fertilizer and a chemical
precursor.
However, its large scale synthesis is extremely energy intensive via
the historical Frank–Caro synthesis of fixing atmospheric nitrogen
with calcium carbide at an elevated temperature, and the product material
contains a large number of impurities. In this work, we prepare calcium
cyanamide in a purity higher than that achievable by the Frank–Caro
route in a convenient laboratory metho
Detection of high-energy compounds using photoluminescent silicon nanocrystal paper based sensors
Luminescent silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs) surface functionalized with dodecyl groups were exposed to solutions of nitroaromatic compounds including nitrobenzene, nitrotoluene, and dinitrotoluene. It was found that Si-NC luminescence was quenched upon exposure to nitroaromatics via an electron transfer mechanism as indicated by Stern-Volmer analysis. This quenching was exploited and a straightforward paper-based Si-NC sensor was developed. This paper motif was found to be sensitive to solution, vapor, and solid phase nitroaromatics, as well as solution borne RDX and PETN. \ua9 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye
Synthesis and Energetic Characterization of Borane-Amines on High-Nitrogen Heterocycles
Borane-amines have
garnered attention over the last several decades
in a variety of applications, ranging from hydrogen storage materials
to hypergolic fuel systems. An investigation into the synthesis of
borane-amines with high-nitrogen content heterocycles was undertaken
in this work. Borane-amines were formed by the reaction of BH3·Me2S in tetrahydrofuran (THF) with the requisite
nitrogen-containing heterocycle and isolated by placing the crude
reaction mixture in hexanes to precipitate the product. X-ray crystallography,
thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), high resolution mass spectroscopy
(HRMS), 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and 11B
NMR were utilized for product characterization, while impact and friction
sensitivity testing were conducted to identify sensitivity in the
synthesized compounds. Most isolated borane-amines, except one, were
found to decompose in the atmosphere and were more sensitive to mechanical
stimuli than their starting materials; however, all synthesized compounds
were found to be hypergolic in the presence of white fuming nitric
acid (WFNA)