Novel high energy density materials: Synthesis by megabar hot pressing. LDRD final report

摘要

The goal of this work was to demonstrate proof-of-principle existence of a new class of high energy density materials (HEDMs). These proposed novel solids are derived from first and second row elements arranged in a uniform, three-dimensional network. Thus, every bond in these systems is energetic, in contrast to conventional energetic materials that store energy only within individual molecules. Recent predictions have suggested that a number of possible compounds including a polymeric form of nitrogen can be synthesized at high pressures and recovered metastably at ambient conditions. Specifically, polymeric nitrogen is predicted to have an energy density about three times that of a typical explosive. Such extended solid HEDMs offer dramatic new opportunities as explosives, monopropellants, or as environmentally clean fuels. The authors utilized the laser heated diamond anvil cell as the synthesis route for establishing proof-of-principle existence. They conducted high pressure studies of pure molecular nitrogen samples and completely revised the previously published equation-of-state. They also pursued studies of carbon monoxide, a compound that is isoelectronic with nitrogen and exhibits very similar high pressure phase transformations. Carbon monoxide polymerizes under pressure into a solid that can be recovered and may be energetic.