3-Nitro-1-(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-amine (HANTT) and its energetic salts: highly thermally stable energetic materials with low sensitivity

Abstract

A new family of nitrogen-rich energetic salts based on 3-nitro-1-(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-amine (HANTT) were synthesized and characterized by ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The crystal structures of neutral HANTT (2), its guanidinium salt (3), and 1,5-diamino-tetrazolium salt (9) were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All energetic salts exhibit excellent thermal stabilities with decomposition temperatures ranging within 264–321 °C and are insensitive to impact, friction and electrostatic discharge. The densities of salts 3–10 ranged from 1.65 g cm⁻³ to 1.81 g cm⁻³. Theoretical performance calculations (Gaussian 03 and EXPLO5) provided detonation pressures and velocities for the energetic salts within the ranges of 22.6–32.6 GPa and 7742–8779 m s⁻¹, respectively, making them competitive energetic materials.