The IR-and Raman spectra of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), as well as the isotopic wavenumber shifts upon 15 N substitution in CuPc, were investigated experimentally and theoretically. The symmetry of molecular vibrations was determined using polarized Raman spectra of an oriented CuPc single crystal. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used for the detailed assignment of different bands in the vibrational spectra of CuPc. Theoretically predicted geometry, wavenumbers and isotopic shifts are in a very good agreement with the experimental values. A comparison of experimentally obtained isotopic shifts with theoretical predictions allowed us to reveal some characteristic features of normal vibrations of CuPc molecule.

The mutual interconversion and decomposition reactions of four tetrazole isomers (1H-TZ, 2H-TZ, 5H-TZ, and an N-heterocyclic carbene 14H) have been studied theoretically using the W1 high-level procedure. Computations allowed resolution of the existing discrepancies in the mechanism and key intermediates of TZ thermolysis. The tautomeric equilibria between 1H-TZ, 2H-TZ, and 14H turned out to play a very important role in the mechanism of thermal decomposition. Although the barriers of monomolecular tautomeric transformations were found to be high (∼50-70 kcal/mol), the concerted double H atom transfer reactions in the H-bonded complexes of TZ tautomers have profoundly lower barriers (∼18-28 kcal/mol). These reactions lead to fast interconversion between 1H-TZ, 2H-TZ, and 14H. The carbene 14H has never been considered before; however, it was predicted to be a key intermediate in the mechanism of thermal decomposition of TZ. For all species considered, the unimolecular reactions of N(2) elimination were predicted to dominate over the elimination of hydrazoic acid. In agreement with existing experimental data, the effective activation energy of thermolysis was calculated to be 36.2 kcal/mol.

The primary thermolysis reactions of a promising insensitive explosive 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene (DADNE, FOX-7) have been studied in the gas phase at a high level of theory (CCSD(T)-F12/aVTZ). Our calculations revealed that none of the conventional reactions (C-NO2 bond fission, nitro-nitrite and nitro-aci-nitro rearrangements) dominate thermolysis of FOX-7. On the contrary, two new decomposition pathways specific for this particular species that commenced with enamino-imino isomerization and intramolecular cyclization were found instead to be more feasible energetically. The activation barriers of these primary isomerization reactions were calculated to be 48.4 and 28.8 kcal/mol, while the activation energies of the overall decomposition pathways are predicted to be ∼49 and ∼56 kcal/mol, respectively. The new pathways can also be relevant for a wide series of unsaturated hydrocarbons substituted with both nitro- and amino-groups (e.g., triaminotrinitrobenzene, TATB).

The molecular arrangement and phase transitions in the vanadyl hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (VOPcF 16 ) thin films grown by physical vapor deposition have been studied using in situ X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and optical spectroscopy techniques (UV, IR, and Raman). The complete transition from the low-temperature linear cofacial structure to the slipped dimeric one occurs in the temperature range 160−220 °C. This conversion was found to be irreversible upon cooling the VOPcF 16 film back to 20 °C. The structural transformation leads to decrease of the in-plane conductivity of the film by 2 orders of magnitude. According to the polarized Raman spectroscopy measurements, the mean tilt angles between the VOPcF 16 species and the substrate surface were 59 ± 5°and 30 ± 5°in the as-deposited and annealed films, respectively. For the sake of comparison, the structure of the thin films of vanadyl phthalocyanine (VOPc) was also studied. The mean tilt angle between the VOPc species and the substrate surface was found to be 77 ± 5°, in good agreement with existing experimental data (∼70°). All intense bands in the experimental IR and Raman spectra of VOPcF 16 and VOPc were assigned using DFT calculations (B3LYP) and the 15 N isotopic shifts in the vibrational spectra of VOPc.

Thermal decomposition of a novel promising high-performance explosive dihydroxylammonium 5,5'-bistetrazole-1,1'-diolate (TKX-50) was studied using a number of thermal analysis techniques (thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, and accelerating rate calorimetry, ARC). To obtain more comprehensive insight into the kinetics and mechanism of TKX-50 decomposition, a variety of complementary thermoanalytical experiments were performed under various conditions. Non-isothermal and isothermal kinetics were obtained at both atmospheric and low (up to 0.3 Torr) pressures. The gas products of thermolysis were detected in situ using IR spectroscopy, and the structure of solid-state decomposition products was determined by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Diammonium 5,5'-bistetrazole-1,1'-diolate (ABTOX) was directly identified to be the most important intermediate of the decomposition process. The important role of bistetrazole diol (BTO) in the mechanism of TKX-50 decomposition was also rationalized by thermolysis experiments with mixtures of TKX-50 and BTO. Several widely used thermoanalytical data processing techniques (Kissinger, isoconversional, formal kinetic approaches, etc.) were independently benchmarked against the ARC data, which are more germane to the real storage and application conditions of energetic materials. Our study revealed that none of the Arrhenius parameters reported before can properly describe the complex two-stage decomposition process of TKX-50. In contrast, we showed the superior performance of the isoconversional methods combined with isothermal measurements, which yielded the most reliable kinetic parameters of TKX-50 thermolysis. In contrast with the existing reports, the thermal stability of TKX-50 was determined in the ARC experiments to be lower than that of hexogen, but close to that of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20).

The thermal decomposition of 5-aminotetrazole was studied theoretically using the G3 multilevel procedure and DFT B3LYP technique. The unimolecular primary decomposition reactions of the three most stable isomers of 5-ATZ were studied in the gas phase and in the melt using a simplified model of the latter. The influence of the melt on the elementary reaction barrier was taken into account by the calculation of the solvation free energies using the PCM model. In contrast to all previous publications, we considered the bimolecular reactions of 5-ATZ and demonstrated that they are very important especially in the condensed phase. It was found that the imino form undergoes fast isomerization to the amino form in the H-bonded dimers and does not participate in the 5-ATZ thermolysis. On the contrary, amino and, probably, the 2H isomer are the main isomers of 5-ATZ in the melt and gas phase. The N(2) elimination reaction was found to be the dominant unimolecular channel of the amino and 2H isomer decomposition in both the gas phase and melt. The significant lowering of the activation barriers of decomposition reactions in H-bonded dimers was found. In agreement with the existing experimental data, HN(3) elimination dominates for some of the considered complexes. It was concluded that the initial stages of thermolysis of 5-ATZ cannot be satisfactory described by the simple unimolecular reactions proposed in the literature.

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The standard state enthalpy of formation and the enthalpy of sublimation are essential thermochemical parameters determining the performance and application prospects of energetic materials. Direct experimental measurements of these properties...