Highly efficient thermal decomposition of AP through intimately encapsulating in 3DOM CoFe₂O₄ spinel

Designing highly active catalysts and constructing the interface between ammonium perchlorate (AP) and catalysts are effective strategies for achieving efficient thermal decomposition of AP, which is an urgent need for developing AP based composite solid propellants. Herein, we report an impregnation vacuum freeze-drying strategy to encapsulate AP in an independent three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) CoFe₂O₄ (3D CFO) spinel, resulting in a novel 3D CFO encapsulated AP nanocomposite materials (AP-3DCNCs). The connected pores of 3D CFO provide a model structure for the growth of AP nanocrystals, while the impregnation vacuum freeze-drying strategy ensures the uniform distribution of AP crystals in pores, effectively achieving the size effect of AP nanocrystals (39.88 ∼ 55.50 nm). By adjusting the loading capacity of the AP, the AP-3DCNCs configuration was effectively controlled. The thermal decomposition of AP-3DCNCs is greatly enhanced due to their unique configuration. The high-temperature decomposition temperature is significantly reduced by 180.06–141.78 °C, and the maximum equivalent heat release increased by 2.03 times. It can be foreseen AP-3DCNCs are attractive nanocomposites for the thermal decomposition of AP, and these results provide a convenient strategy for the preparation of transition metal-based composite catalysts with promising applications in the field of solid propellants.