Energized nitro-substituted azoles through ether bridges

A series of ether-bridged energetic compounds was synthesized and fully characterized. All of the compounds melt before thermally decomposing and may have potential as melt-cast explosives based on their properties. Their detonation properties were computed using the EXPLO5 (v6.01) software on the basis of the calculated heats of formation and experimental densities (25°C). The ether-bridged 5-nitrotetrazole and 5-trinitromethyltetrazole compounds exhibit energetic performance superior to RDX. Impact and friction sensitivities were determined using standard BAM technology. The structures of compounds 1, 4, 5, 7 and 9 were confirmed by single crystal X-ray analyses.