Energetic salts of 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole-5-one, 5-nitroaminotetrazole, and other nitro-substituted azoles

Energetic salts comprised of substituted 1,2,4-triazolium and tetrazolium cations and 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazolate-5-one (NTO), 5-nitroimino-tetrazolate, 3-nitro-5-trifluoromethyl-1,2,4-triazolate, 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazolate, 4,5-dinitro-imidazolate, 3,5-dinitro-pyrazolate, and 5-nitro-tetrazolate anions were synthesized and characterized. The structures of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazolium 3-nitro-5-trifluoromethyl-1,2,4-triazolate (6), and 1-propyl-1,2,4-triazolium 5-nitroimino-tetrazolate (20) were confirmed by X-ray analysis. Standard enthalpies of formation were calculated using the computationally feasible DFT(B3LYP) and MP2 methods in conjunction with an empirical approach based on densities of salts. Cheetah 4.0 was used to calculate detonation properties. Salts 2, 14,20, and 21 fall into the ionic liquid class (mp < 100 degrees C).