Bimetallic ruthenium compound derived from 6,12-dihydroindeno[1,2-b]fluorene ligand as burning rate catalyst for solid rocket motor propellant

Abstract

We reported the synthesis of a novel bimetallic compound with the formula [(Cp*Ru)2-IF] derived from 6,12-dihydroindeno[1,2-b]fluorene ligand (IFH2). This compound was characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, elemental analysis, FT-IR, and UV-vis.The bimetallic compound was tested as a burning rate catalyst on the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate. It was assessed by differential scanning calorimetry technique (DSC) analysis to understand its catalytic behavior further. [(Cp*Ru)2-IF] shows a decrease in the decomposition temperature of AP to 381°C, increasing the energy release to 1271 J•g−1. In addition, this compound leads to the lowest activation energy (20.7 kJ•mol−1), suggesting a suitable and competitive alternative to be used as a modifier for composite solid propellants.