Furazan-, Furoxan- and Tetrazine-Based Explosives

A new area of research and activity in recent years is the development of new explosives based on furazans, furoxans and tetrazines in order to achieve an increase in density, stability, insensitivity and velocity of detonation. As a result, a number of prospective HEMs which are potential ingredients of explosive, propellant and pyrotechnic formulations have been synthesized. 

The compound has density, VOD, detonation pressure and specific impulse similar to RDX. The insensitiveness of the compound [impact sensitivity 162 cm (12.5 kg. wt.)] coupled with high Isp renders it excellent for propellants. 

Subsequently, Tselinskii et al. found the dianion of Compound 2a to be stable and reacted it with a variety of electrophiles including picryl chloride, acetic anhydride, methyl iodide and vinyl ketone. They synthesized its dinitro derivative, dinitrodifurazano piperazine (2b) (DNDFP) [Structure (2.63)] by reacting the dianion (2a) with nitrogen oxide in CH3CN. The dinitro derivative which is quite reactive, was isolated by column chromatography and confirmed by mass spectroscopy [272]. 

The predicted properties of Compound 2b are density 2.00 g cnf3, VOD 9700 ms4, detonation pressure 450kbar and specific impulse 266 s (HMX 263 s) [273]. 

Chavez and Hiskey continued their research on 1,2,4,5-tetrazine-based explosives and synthesized a number of derivatives which are considered interesting as propellant or smoke-free pyrotechnic ingredients because of their low carbon content, high heat of formation and a density of-1.61 g cm4. One such compound is 3,6-dihydrazino-l,2,4,5-tetrazine which appears to be an important energetic fuel [275, 276]. 

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