Revisiting the sensitive nature of H-FOX: interplay of nitro and hydrazine functionalities to construct an insensitive energetic material

Abstract

In this study, we successfully synthesized and characterized (2-nitroethene-1,1-diyl)bis(hydrazine) (2) in a single step with high yield. Its dual functionality was evaluated as both a hypergolic fuel with WFNA and a secondary explosive comparable to RDX. Offering a safer alternative to H-FOX, it exhibits a decomposition temperature of 160 °C, density 1.60 g cm⁻³, detonation velocity 8548 m s⁻¹, and specific impulse 220 s, with excellent insensitivity to impact and friction, making it a promising candidate for hybrid propulsion and energetic materials.