J Am Chem Soc. 2012 Jan 25;134(3):1422-5. doi: 10.1021/ja209640k. Epub 2012 Jan 09.

Ionic polymers as a new structural motif for high-energy-density materials.

Journal of the American Chemical Society

Oleksandr S Bushuyev, Preston Brown, Amitesh Maiti, Richard H Gee, Geneva R Peterson, Brandon L Weeks, Louisa J Hope-Weeks

PMID: 22191717 DOI: 10.1021/ja209640k

Abstract

Energetic materials have been used for nearly two centuries in military affairs and to cut labor costs and expedite laborious processes in mining, tunneling, construction, demolition, and agriculture, making a tremendous contribution to the world economy. Yet there has been little advancement in the development of altogether new energetic motifs despite long-standing research efforts to develop superior materials. We report the discovery of new energetic compounds of exceptionally high energy content and novel polymeric structure which avoid the use of lead and mercury salts common in conventional primary explosives. Laboratory tests indicate the remarkable performance of these Ni- and Co-based energetic materials, while DFT calculations indicate that these are possibly the most powerful metal-based energetic materials known to date, with heats of detonation comparable with those of the most powerful organic-based high explosives currently in use.

© 2011 American Chemical Society

Publication Types

• Journal Article