Imidazolium-Based Energetic Materials

We show that 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium and 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium salts, as well as the salts of their nitrite esters, that include oxidizing anions (so-called explosphores) such as nitrate, picrate and perchlorate„ are endowed with high enthalpies of decomposition, high decomposition temperatures, and high densities. This combined with detonation velocities and pressures calculated using Explo5, indicates that especially the perchlorate salts have potential as energetic materials. All the studied salts are easily preparable in up to gram scale through two or three synthetic steps from simple imidazole. Many of these salts are ionic liquids, which may render them useful as energetic plasticizers or gel filled materials.