A green metal-free fused-ring initiating substance

Mucong Deng,Qinghua Zhang,Wenquan Zhang,Xiujuan Qi,Yongan Feng

doi:10.1038/s41467-019-09347-y

Abstract

Over the past century, the search for lead-free, environmentally friendly initiating substances has been a highly challenging task in the field of energetic materials. Here, an organic primary explosive featuring a fused-ring structure, 6-nitro-7-azido-pyrazol[3,4-d][1,2,3]triazine-2-oxide, was designed and synthesized through a facile two-step reaction from commercially available reagents. This organic initiating substance meets nearly all of the stringent criteria of environmentally friendly primary explosives for commercial applications: it is free of toxic metals and perchlorate, has a high density, high priming ability, unusual sensitivities towards non-explosive stimuli, excellent environmental resistance, decent thermal stability, high detonation performance, satisfactory flowability and pressure durability, and is low-cost and easy to scale-up. These combined properties and performance measures surpass the current and widely used organic primary explosive, DDNP. The fused-ring organic primary explosive reported herein may find real-world application as an initiating explosive device in the near future.

Highlights

Over the past century, the search for lead-free, environmentally friendly initiating substances has been a highly challenging task in the field of energetic materials
To assess the hazards and ignition performance involved in the production, transportation, storage, and typical uses/handling of primary explosives, several standards are used to determine the sensitivities of ICM-103 towards impact, friction, electrostatic discharge, and flame (Supplementary Tables 13–20)
In conclusion, we report the facile synthesis of an organic primary explosive ICM-103 from commercially available reagents

Summary

Introduction

The search for lead-free, environmentally friendly initiating substances has been a highly challenging task in the field of energetic materials. Most important properties and performances of this newly discovered initiating substance (ICM103) surpass those found in the industrially used toxic primary explosive DDNP, demonstrating its great promise for use in practical applications.

Results

Conclusion