Dendritic Polynitrato Energetic Motifs: Development and Exploration of Physicochemical Behavior through Theoretical and Experimental Approach

Considering the fundamental and most desirable characteristics of energetic materials, a series of 1,2,3-triazole-based heterocyclic energetic motifs nicely tuned with nitrato (-ONO2) functionality were synthesized by a microwave-assisted environmental friendly synthetic approach with good yields. Thermal stability and the nature of evolved gases on decomposition of structurally characterized energetic motifs were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis and Fourier transform infrared coupled with TGA-DSC. The explosiveness of these motifs was explored by calculation of enthalpy of formation and density employing density functional theory, and the detonation performances (detonation pressure and velocity) were explored using EXPLO5_V6.03. All of these compounds were calculated to have better oxygen balance (-36 to -52%) as compared to that of trinitrotoluene (-74%). Most of the nitrate ester derivatives were found to exhibit low impact sensitivities, high densities, good thermal stabilities, and promising detonation properties, and PN3 was observed to be a superior candidate in terms of its energetic characteristics. Hence, the experimental and theoretical outcomes strongly reflect that the present approach of developing dendritic high energetic materials bearing green explosive characteristics might be a potential pathway for designing and synthesizing green explosives with desired characteristics.