Promising nitrogen and oxygen-rich tetrazole and its energetic salts-synthesis, characterization and thermal properties

• Two novel series of energetic skeletons were obtained by combining nitrogen-rich tetrazolium ring and oxygen-rich detonation groups. And meanwhile, some derived energetic salts were synthesized for the first time. • The first systematic investigation on energetic materials with Polynitro nitrogen- rich structure and the influence of dinitromethyl and fluorodinitromethyl on materials was achieved. • The parent structures of DNHT and FDNT exhibit great densities and energy levels, and at the same time, they also possess satisfied sensitivity and thermal properties. Their synthesis brings new ideas for the designing of energy-and-safety balanced energetic materials. Two series of energetic salts with nitrogen and oxygen-rich skeleton, hydroxytetrazole, and detonation units were synthesized by convenient routes via available commercial reagents. The obtained energetic materials were investigated via IR, NMR and X-ray diffraction. Meanwhile, the electrostatic potential, detonation performance, along with DSC - TG - IR - MS analysis, were comprehensively investigated. The synthesized energetic salts exhibit convincing physical-chemical and detonation properties (Densities range from 1.70 g cm -3 to 1.92 g cm -3 . Detonation velocities up to 9500 m·s -1 ). The obtained materials display a decent thermal and mechanical stability. The decomposition temperatures of most of salts are close to 200 °C. The impact and friction sensitivities can surpass 40 J and 360 N, respectively. Also the thermal decomposition mechanism was clarified. In general, novel series of energetic materials with promising performance are synthesized, which make their great application in the propellant field possible.