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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
The synthesis of air stable Fe(II) explosive coordination complexes with tetrazine and triazolotetrazine ligands has been accomplished. The complexes are intensely colored secondary explosives with MLCT absorption bands in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Manipulation of the ligand electronic structure can tune the MLCT band over a wavelength range of 150nm with minimal influence on the explosive properties. Electrochemical and theoretical evidence suggest that rendering the ligand more σ donating and π accepting lowers the energy of the corresponding MLCT band and facilitates rational design of the ligand system. The optical properties of these new materials are also sensitive to their phase, exhibiting a bathochromic shift and subsequent broadening of the MLCT band in the amorphous state relative to the solution state. By manipulating the absorption properties in these complexes, materials have been developed that are more sensitive than PETN towards laser initiation while also being less sensitive than PETN towards conventional stimuli.
Host: Amanda Neukirch