Propellants, Explosives, PyrotechnicsVolume 46, Issue 2 p. 171-173 EditorialFree Access Professor Dr. Thomas M. Klapötke First published: 03 February 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/prep.202180231 On the occasion of his 60th birthday AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat The chemistry of energetic materials is a domain of research with ample facets stretching from pyrotechnics over propellants to high explosives. Each of these fields has plentiful subdomains with very unique features and most unfortunately, structure/property relationships which cannot be easily transferred from one field to another. It is this heterogeneity, which complicates coherent research in our field and has contributed to the common perception that propellants, high explosives, and most prominently, pyrotechnics, are arts and crafts rather than genuine parts of modern science. Governmental secrecy, which is typical for research with anything related to defence and ordnance, and the fact that explosives can cause chaos and annihilation, when in wrong possession or simply subject to accidental stimuli, have not greatly encouraged a broader community to engage with explosive materials on a professional level. Hence, today's progress in the field of energetic materials mostly relies on few individuals studying very narrow areas of energetic materials. Over time, scientists who have been successfully challenging the entire field of energetic materials have been very few in number. Most notably, the last one to do so in the 20th century was Polish PhD chemist and university professor, Tadeusz Urbański (1901–1984) 1, 2. Mainly between 1930 and 1980 he investigated nitroalkanes (which produced a dedicated topical series of 136 individual publications 3) and many other nitrocompounds and organonitrates, but also pyrotechnics. He investigated the reactivity of black powder 4 and reviewed as well as consolidated the then state of knowledge in the field of explosives in four volumes of “Technology of Explosives” translated in many languages which are still an indispensable source of information in our days 5. Professor Dr. Thomas (Tom) M. Klapötke is undoubtedly to be ranked next in line. He conducts active research in basically all areas of energetic materials ranging from primary explosives 6 over insensitive secondary high explosives 7 and high energy density oxidizers for propellants 8 to green pyrotechnics 9 and finally high-density materials for advanced reactive fragments 10. While some researchers in our field are cagey about their work - be that due to governmental secrecy, or simply due to lack of understanding of the implications of their research, or at least confidence in their results -Thomas Klapötke is different. He actively communicates and disseminates the results of his research through peer reviewed papers, conference talks and exemplary international networking. Most importantly he teaches the underlying chemistry of energetic materials to the next generation of young and eager scientists. He is thereby doing the energetic materials community an invaluable service by seeding the scientific foundation for the future of our field. Left aside his other purely academic inorganic research, 528 original papers and conference talks (according to a research with SciFinder®), 12 patents, 10 books and several book chapters dedicated to energetic materials and their properties only, award Thomas Klapötke the undisputed international authority in the field. When I met professor Klapötke for the first time at LMU in 2004 he explained to me, that mastering the crystal structure of highly mechanically sensitive iodine azide, IN3, in 1993 11, was the pivotal moment in his career where he became actively focussed on explosives. Thomas Klapötke began his career in 1982 at the Technical University in Berlin with studies of chemistry. He obtained the diploma in 1984 and was promoted with a work on metallocene dichalcogene-chelates 12 under the supervision of Hartmut Köpf (*1937) to Dr. rer. nat in 1986. He conducted his postdoctoral studies with Jack Passmore at New Brunswick University, Canada and returned to Berlin to finish his habilitation in 1990 13. Until 1995 he was Privatdozent at TU Berlin. Thereafter, Thomas Klapötke was appointed Ramsay Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow (1995-1997). There in 1997 he submitted his first paper to Propellants Explosives Pyrotechnics on the synthesis and properties of dioxygenyl tetrafluoroborate and the combustion reaction of a model propellant containing sodium azide (NaN3), dioxygenyl tetrafluoroborate (O2BF4) and powdered aluminum 14. This paper literally marks his “fulminant debut” in the energetic materials community (see Figure 1)! Figure 1Open in figure viewerPowerPoint Reprint from Propellants Explos. Pyrotech. 1997, 22, 51–54. In 1997 Thomas Klapötke was appointed professor and Chair of Inorganic Chemistry at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich and in 2001 he moved into the just then erected HighTech Campus in Großhadern. In 2006 Thomas Klapötke became appointed member to the Editorial Advisory Board of our journal. It would “blast” the scope of this editorial to try to recount each and every compound, formulation and road of research developed and investigated by him and his team. However, two landmark finds merit further mentioning: TKX-50 or dihydroxylammonium bistetrazole oxide is a compound with high density, low mechanical sensitivity and a performance exceeding HMX by far 15 and TKX-55 or 5,5'-Bis(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-2,2'-bi(1,3,4-oxadiazole), which is a high explosive with high thermal stability and high performance exceeding HNS or PYX 16. Figure 2Open in figure viewerPowerPoint Structure of TKX-50. Figure 3Open in figure viewerPowerPoint Structure of TKX-55. Both compounds are exemplary for the chemistry and the solutions pursued by Thomas Klapötke and his team. In addition to his research publications, Thomas Klapötke has developed textbooks on the chemistry, performance, and sensitivity of energetic materials, that have filled a long-time gap 17-23. With the most recent series, “Encyclopedia of Energetic Materials”, Thomas Klapötke has finally consolidated all pertinent data on the most crucial individual energetic materials which is imperative knowledge for anyone working in the field 24-27. On this festive day friends, former PhD students, peers and the PEP team would like to acknowledge the immense valuable contributions and service that Thomas Klapötke has provided our field with and wish him all the best and many more very healthy, happy and active years. Ernst-Christian Koch References 1T. Urbański, Kwartalnik Historii Nauki i Techniki, Warsaw, 1984, 2–48. Google Scholar 2J. Michalski, H. R. Barton, Tadeusz Urbanski 1901–1985, Tetrahedron, 1990, 46 (4), iii–iv. CrossrefWeb of Science®Google Scholar 3A. Gryff-Keller, A. Lytko-Krasuska, H. Piotrowska, T. Urbanski, Chemistry of Nitroalkanes. CXXXVI. Reductive elimination of tertiary nitro group in 5-nitro-1,3-dioxanes. Part II. ESR spectra, Pol. J. Chem. 1980, 54, 53– 56. CASGoogle Scholar 4 4aT. Urbanski, S. Benbenek, S. Bedynski, A. Wasilewski, Free radicals, in charcoal and the combustion of compositions containing charcoal, Explosivstoffe 1970, 18, 9– 11; CASGoogle Scholar 4bT. Urbanski, Charcoal as an ingredient of blackpowder and some pyrotechnic mixtures, Explosivstoffe, 1968, 16, 200. CASGoogle Scholar 5T. Urbanski, Chemistry and Technology of Explosives, Volumes 1–4, Reprint 1990, Polish Scientific Publishers, Warsaw, 1990, Vol(1): xv+635pp; Vol(2): xv+517pp; Vol(3): xvi+714 pp; Vol(4): xxiii+ 678pp. Google Scholar 6D. Fischer, T. M. Klapötke, J. Stierstorfer, Potassium 1,1'-Dinitramino-5,5'-bistetratolate: A Primary Explosive with fast Detonation and High Initiation Power, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 8172– 8175. Wiley Online LibraryCASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar 7T. M. Klapötke, T. G. Witkowski, Covalent and Ionic Insensitive High-Explosives, Propellants Explos. Pyrotech. 2016, 41, 470– 483. Wiley Online LibraryCASWeb of Science®Google Scholar 8C. Unger, M. Holler, B. Krumm, T. M. Klapötke, Oxygen-Rich Bis(trinitroethyl esters): Suitable Oxidizers as Potential Ammonium Perchlorate Replacements, Energy & Fuels 2020, 34, 16469– 16475. CrossrefCASWeb of Science®Google Scholar 9 9aG. Steinhauser, T. M. Klapötke, “Green” pyrotechnics: a chemists challenge, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 3330– 3347; Wiley Online LibraryCASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar 9bT. Kübelböck, G. Bikelyte, T. M. Klapötke, G. Ange, J. Pokorna, R. Skacel, Guanidinium 5,5'-Azotetrazolate: A colorful Chameleon for halogen-Free Smoke Signals, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 12326– 12330. Wiley Online LibraryPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar 10J. Evers, S. Huber, G. Oehlinger, T. M. Klapötke, Properties in Reactive Structure Materials: ZrW2 and HfW2 – High Melting Temperatures, Densities, Hardness, and Exothermic Ignition Energies, Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 2020, 646, 1805– 1811. Wiley Online LibraryCASWeb of Science®Google Scholar 11P. Buzek, T. M. Klapötke, P. v. R. Schleyer, I. C. Tornieporth-Oetting, P. S. White, Iodine Azide, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 1993, 105, 289– 290. Wiley Online LibraryCASGoogle Scholar 12T. M. Klapötke, Synthese, spektroskopische Charakterisierung und Reaktionsverhalkte neuer Metallocen-Dichalkogenolen-Chelate früher Übergangsmetalle – konformative Beweglichkeit flexible Metallacyclen, Dissertation, Technische Universität Berlin, 1986, 136pp. Google Scholar 13T. M. Klapötke, Organoübergangsmetall-Komplexe der 4. bis 7. Gruppe mit Zentralatomen in hohen Oxidationsstufen sowie elementorganische und anorganische Pnikogen(V)-Iod Kationen, Habilitationsschrift, Technische Universität Berlin, 1990, 162 pp. Google Scholar 14H. Holfter, T. M. Klapötke, A. Schulz, High Energetic Materials: Reaction of Azides with Dioxygenyl Salts, Propellants Explos. Pyrotech. 1997, 22, 51– 54. Wiley Online LibraryCASWeb of Science®Google Scholar 15 15aN. Fischer, D. Fischer, T. M. Klapötke, D. G. Piercey, J. Stierstorfer, Pushing the limits of energetic materials – the synthesis and characterization of dihydroxylammonium 5,5'-bistetrazole-1,1'-diolate, J. Mater. Chem. 2012, 22, 20418– 20422; CrossrefCASWeb of Science®Google Scholar 15bT. M. Klapötke, N. Fischer, D. Fischer, D. G. Piercey, J. Stierstorfer, M. B. Reymann, Energetische Wirkmasse umfassend ein Dihydroxylammoniumsalz oder Diammoniumsalz eines Bistetrazoldiols sowie Verfahren zu deren Herstellung und Verwendung, DE102011081254 B4, Deutschland, 2014. Google Scholar 16T. M. Klapötke, T. G. Witkowski, 5,5'Bis(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-2,2-bi(1,3,4-oxadiazole) (TKX-55): Thermally Stable Explosive with Outstanding Properties, ChemPlusChem, 2016, 81, 357– 360. Wiley Online LibraryCASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar 17T. M. Klapötke, Chemie der Hochenergetischen Materialien, De Gruyter, Berlin, 2009, 187 pp. Google Scholar 18T. M. Klapötke, Chemistry of High-Energy Materials, De Gruyter, 2011, Boston, 233 pp. Google Scholar 19T. M. Klapötke, Chemistry of High Energy Materials, 2nd Edition, De Gruyter, 2012 Boston, 257 pp. Google Scholar 20T. M. Klapötke, Chemistry of High Energy Materials, 3rd Edition, De Gruyter, 2015 Boston, 319 pp. Google Scholar 21T. M. Klapötke, Chemistry of High Energy Materials, 4th Edition, De Gruyter, 2017 Boston, 369 pp. Google Scholar 22T. M. Klapötke, Chemistry of High Energy Materials, 4th Edition, De Gruyter, 2019 Boston, 429 pp. Google Scholar 23M. H. Keshavarz, T. M. Klapötke, Energetic Compounds, de Gruyter, 2017, Boston, 110 pp. Google Scholar 24M. H. Keshavarz, T. M. Klapötke, Energetic Compounds, de Gruyter, 2020, Boston, 144 pp. Google Scholar 25M. H. Keshavarz, T. M. Klapötke, The Properties of Energetic Materials, de Gruyter, 2017, Boston, 207 pp. Google Scholar 26T. M. Klapötke, Energetic Materials Encyclopedia, De Gruyter, Berlin, 2018, 505 pp. Google Scholar 27T. M. Klapötke, Energetic Materials Encylopedia A-D, De Gruyter, Berlin, 2021, 680 pp. Google Scholar 28T. M. Klapötke, Energetic Materials Encylopedia E-N, De Gruyter, Berlin, 2021, 628 pp. Google Scholar 29T. M. Klapötke, Energetic Materials Encylopedia O-Z, De Gruyter, Berlin, 2021, 752 pp. Google Scholar Volume46, Issue2Special Issue: Dedicated to Professor Dr. Thomas Klapötke on the Occasion of his 60th BirthdayFebruary 2021Pages 171-173 FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation