MOF-derived amorphous Fe-ZIF-67/Nitrogen-Doped porous carbon for safe and efficient decomposition of energetic materials

Efficient and safe combustion catalysts are crucial for lowering the decomposition temperature and regulating the decomposition behavior of energetic materials (EMs), thereby improving propellant performance. Here, using a salt‑template strategy to prepare nitrogen‑doped porous carbon (CN), iron was doped onto ZIF/CN to obtain Fe-ZIF/CN (FZC). Structural analysis indicates that Fe doping induces the amorphous structure, while FZC maintains a high specific surface area (1211.23 m 2 ·g −1 ) and abundant micro-mesopores. Electrochemical tests revealed strong electronic interactions between iron species and the ZIF/CN, optimizing active sites and accelerating electron mobility, thus lowering the reaction barrier. Thermal analysis reveals that FZC advances the exothermic decomposition peak temperature of HMX by 36.94 °C and that of RDX by 16.11 °C relative to the pure compounds. TG/IR and in-situ solid-phase infrared suggest that the amorphous MOF-derived structure and high surface area provide favorable conditions for the cleavage of key chemical bonds during the thermal decomposition of EMs, thereby ensuring excellent catalytic performance. This work demonstrates the design of an amorphous MOF-derived carbon-based catalysts with hierarchical porosity and optimized electronic structure, which is of great significance for achieving efficient and safe decomposition of EMs.