Study on the crystal structure and properties of a new crystal form of 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole-5-one (NTO)

3-Nitro-1,2,4-triazole-5-one (NTO) has received wide attention and has applications owing to its excellent detonation performance and low sensitivity. A new crystal form of NTO was prepared via the solvent evaporation method and named γ-NTO. Its crystal properties were studied through single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and the results indicated that the unit cell of γ-NTO belongs to the monoclinic space group Pc, with eight molecules in the single unit cell. The density of this crystal is calculated to be 1.907 g cm⁻³, which is higher than that of β-NTO and similar to that of α-NTO. The crystal morphology was calculated to be a polygonal shape with a symmetrical growth pattern using the reactive force field. Based on the analysis of reactive molecular dynamics, the thermal decomposition mechanism of different crystal forms of NTO was elucidated, and the results showed that γ-NTO demonstrates higher gas production, providing a successful way to enhance detonation performance. The results of IR and differential thermal analysis (DTA) support the above conclusions.