Wiberg bond and natural bond orbital analyses were used to examine the effect of strain on trigger bonds in organic-cage-based energetic molecules. In nitro-substituted cage hydrocarbons, the interior C–C, rather than C–NO2, bonds are expected to break to initiate explosive decomposition in nitro-substituted tetrahedranes, prismanes, and cubanes. In contrast, for a series of hypothetical nitroester substituted prismanes, the exterior C–ONO2 bond is strengthened at the expense of the O–NO2 bond which is more activated than the interior C–C bonds.

Computational analysis of trigger bonds in organic-cage molecules

ACS Fall 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.