Energetic nitrogen-rich salts

Energetic salts as a unique class of energetic materials have recently been investigated widely, since they possess advantages over their atomically similar nonionic analogues - they tend to exhibit lower vapor pressures, higher densities and better thermal stabilities. Furthermore, these salts are readily improved upon by the appropriate combination of different cations and anions. Over the last twenty years, our group has continued to synthesize and study novel ionic energetic materials. Here, we have summarized all of the series of nitrogen-rich energetic salts. This review gives an overview of the various studies dealing with synthetic aspects and some of the physicochemical properties of ionic compounds that are based on ammonia, guanidine, semicarbazide, carbohydrazide, tetrazine, tetrazole, triazole and imidazole. In addition, their potential applications in the fields of explosives and propellants are discussed. We hope these investigations will be helpful in providing a wider insight for future research in the area of energetic salts.