Molecular Design and Property Prediction for a Series of Novel Dicyclic Cyclotrimethylene Trinitramines (RDX) Derivatized as High Energy Density Materials

Quantum chemistry calculations and thermodynamics methods were carried out to screen out novel high energy density materials (HEDMs) from several new derivatives with dicyclic structures of Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX). Their volumes, densities, heats of formation, detonation properties and impact sensitivities have been calculated with thermodynamics methods under DFT B3LYP 6-31++g (d, p) level and all of these compounds exhibit good performance as HEDMs. Especially, R4 has given outstanding values as a potential HEDM. Its crystal density (2.07 g/cm³), heat of detonation (1.67 kJ/g), detonation velocity (10051m/s), and detonation pressure (48.5 GPa) are even higher than those of CL-20 while its impact sensitivity (h₅₀, 16 cm) remains a relative safety value. The results indicate that the derivative work in common explosives is a good strategy which can design novel HEDMs with high energetic properties and low sensitivity. And furthermore, some mature processes can be used to synthesize them.