A study of N-trinitroethyl-substituted aminofurazans: high detonation performance energetic compounds with good oxygen balance

Abstract

Two energetic N-trinitroethyl-substituted aminofurazans 11 and 12, as well as nitramine 13 (the N-nitration product of 12) were synthesized. All the compounds were well characterized by NMR spectra, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). Their structures were further confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies, which show favorable densities (1.82–1.87 g cm⁻³). Interestingly, they exhibit good thermal stability (T_dec = 159–230 °C), acceptable oxygen balance (−15.31%–0) and high positive heats of formation (268–1259.5 kJ mol⁻¹). In addition, the performance calculations gave detonation pressures and velocities for the furazan derivatives in the range of 35.4–40.8 GPa and 8900–9486 m s⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, nitramine 13 (nitrate product of 12), having an oxygen balance of zero, exhibits outstanding detonation properties (Δ_fH_m, 1259.5 kJ mol⁻¹; D, 9486 m s⁻¹; P, 40.8 GPa), which could be used as a high detonation performance energetic material.