Working towards greener high energy materials. DFT calculations on nitrated 3,6-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine

As part of a series of reports of highly nitrated molecules that may serve as new high energy materials, here we report on various nitrated derivatives of 3,6-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine. The parent molecule is one of the smallest ringed systems with two isolated azo groups (-NN-) as part of the cycle. With only two carbon atoms in the structures, the amount of carbon-containing substances released upon decomposition is minimized, making these compounds more “green”. Density functional theoretical calculations show a decreasing trend in energy of decomposition with increasing nitro group content, although the specific enthalpies of decomposition are commensurate with other currently-used materials.