Conventional high-energy materials operate on the principle of the formation of stable gasses (N2, H2O, CO2) from unstable CHNO molecules containing internal oxidants such as nitro groups, and reducing, nitrogen-rich backbones. We have proposed a new class of high energy materials where the internal oxidant is a highly oxidized metal ion such as Mn(IV, V, or VII) and the reducing component is a nitrogen-rich organic ligand. As a first generation class of compounds we are exploring the chemistry of manganese with tetrazene ligands [RNNNNR]2-. These ligands exhibit a tetranitrogen backbone and are redox non-innocent due to the conjugated sp2 oligonitrogen functionality. Synthesis, characterization, redox properties, and reactivity of these systems will be described. The complexes exhibit metastability in the highest oxidation state with significant redox contributions from the non-innocent tetrazene ligands based upon X-ray structural metrics. Implications of these first-generation materials in high-energy density chemistry will be discussed.

Redox active manganese-tetrazene complexes as a new type of high-energy density compound

248th National Meeting (2014)

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