Design and properties of N,N’-linked bis-1,2,4-triazoles compounds as promising energetic materials

N,N’-linked bis-1,2,4-trizaoles compounds substituted with different groups such as -NH₂, -NO₂, -NHNO₂, -OH and -CH(NO₂)₂ were designed and studied by density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6-311+G(2df, 2p) level. The calculated results of heats of detonation, detonation velocities, detonation pressures, bond dissociation energy and impact sensitivity (h₅₀) indicated that -NO₂, -NHNO₂ and -CH(NO₂)₂ groups play an important role in elevating the detonation performances of designed compounds, and -NO₂ group play an important role in elevating the thermal stability of designed compounds, and the designed compounds with -NO₂ and -NHNO₂ groups were less sensitivity than that of -CH(NO₂)₂ group. The calculated detonation performances, thermal stability and impact sensitivity of designed compounds were compared with those of some classical explosives such as 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX) and 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane (HMX). The computed results show that 3,5,3’-trinitro-4,4’-bis-1,2,4-triazoles (B3) possess higher detonation performances and thermal stability than that of RDX, but more sensitivity than that of RDX; 3,5,3’,5’-tetradinitromethyl-4,4’-bis-1,2,4-triazoles (E4) possess higher detonation performances than that of RDX, but lower thermal stability and more sensitivity than that of RDX; 3,5,3’,5’-tetranitro-4,4’-bis-1,2,4-triazoles (B4) possess higher detonation performances and thermal stability than that of HMX, but more sensitivity than that of HMX; 3,5,3’,5’-tetranitramine-4,4’-bis-1,2,4-triazoles (C4) possess higher detonation performances than that of HMX, and similar sensitivity to HMX, but lower thermal stability than that of and HMX.