What makes an explosion happen?

Energy density and structure stability are of key concerns in devising energy materials such as CNHO molecular crystals and the emerging cyclo-N₅ ⁻ complexes for desired explosive functionalities with a mechanism being open for exploration. An extension of the recent progress in solvation suggests that a combination of the intermolecular hydrogen bond (X:H–Y or HB with ‘:’ being electron lone pair of X, Y = O or N) tension and the super-HB (X:⇔:Y) or anti-HB (H↔H) compression not only stabilizes the structure but also stores excessive energy by shortening the intramolecular bonds. The presence of the X:H constrains and the presence of the X:⇔:Y and/or H↔H fosters the explosion. Observations suggest that the absence of X:H–Y tension results in the spontaneous aquatic explosion of alkali metals and molten alkali halides. The lack of X:⇔:Y repulsion fosters no explosion of the molten NaCl in liquid NH₃, nor the molten Na₂CO₃ salt or H₃BO₃ acid in water. The findings shall offer guidelines for devising efficient energy materials and reconciling the nature origin of water ice, aqueous solutions, and explosive energy materials – significance of electron lone pairs and protons.