The development of next-generation high energy density materials is of importance to both military and civilian sectors alike. In military applications, high explosives with tunable detonation pressures will allow for more precise target strikes and limit collateral damage. In the civilian sector, explosives with finely tuned detonation velocity will be of benefit to mining, construction, and oil industries among others. Current energetic materials are primarily composed of organic molecules and their energy output is limited by dwindling improvements of energetic performance over recent decades. Our work seeks to employ the use of first row transition metals in tandem with energetic organic molecules. We seek to link strong oxidizers to light-atom fuels via covalent ligand-metal bonds. Through selection of energetic oxidizer anions and linkage to energetic tetrazolium cations, one can optimize oxygen balance and promote rapid and complete oxidization of the molecule with minimal outside oxygen required. The results of our synthetic efforts focused on the utilization of manganese and cobalt with various substituted tetrazolium salts to create clusters that have enhanced stability and energetic properties will be presented.

Synthesis and characterization of novel energetic clusters comprised of subtsituted tetrazolium salts and first row transition metals

ACS Spring 2022

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