The development of green primary explosives has become
a “holy
grail” of energetic materials research. Cu-based 5-nitrotetrazolate
is considered one of the most promising candidates due to its excellent
blasting power and environmentally benign nature. However, synthesizing
Cu-based 5-nitrotetrazolate controllably and securely remains highly
challenging. Herein, room-temperature anodization of metallic Cu and
a Cu(I)–imidazole nanowire array on copper substrates in a
sodium 5-nitrotetrazolate electrolyte leads to in situ electrosynthesis
of Cu(I) 5-nitrotetrazolate (DBX-1, CuNT) and its analogue, Cu(II)
5-nitrotetrazolate [Cu(NT)2], respectively. Both obtained
CuNT and Cu(NT)2 films demonstrate remarkable energy output
and good laser-induced ignition performance. The thermal stability
(T
p = 291 °C) and electrostatic safety
(E
50 = 2.54 mJ) of CuNT proved to be superior
to those of Cu(NT)2 (T
p = 257
°C, and E
50 = 0.57 mJ). Remarkably,
this study provides an exciting new method for the rational design
and development of Cu-based 5-nitrotetrazolate as a primary explosive
for advanced initiating applications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.