Metal–Carbon Synergy in C60@Ru Nanocomposite for High-Performance Hydrazine Fuel

Exploring metal–carbon synergies in propellants, we developed Ru-embedded fullerene (C60@Ru) additives for hydrazine fuel (HF) enhancement. Hydrothermal synthesis yielded well-defined C60@Ru nanoparticles, which were extensively characterized using electron microscopy for morphology, XRD for crystal structure, and spectroscopic methods for chemical analysis. Performance evaluations demonstrated a density increase of 0.0377 to 0.0419 g/cm3 and specific combustion energy improvement of 14.2% to 20.1% for the C60@Ru/HF composite, with completely preserved low-temperature rheological properties. DFT computations further elucidated the Ru-mediated charge transfer mechanisms driving combustion enhancement. These findings demonstrate the potential of C60@Ru as an efficient performance modifier for HF, offering new insights into C60-based energetic materials.