Theoretical analysis of the solid-state terahertz spectrum of the high explosive RDX

The solid-state terahertz (THz) spectrum (2–120 cm⁻¹) of α-form cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) has been simulated using solid-state density functional calculations at a BP/DNP level of theory. BP/DNP features are in good agreement with both 298 K and a new 7 K polycrystalline RDX THz spectrum. The 7 K RDX spectrum is noteworthy for several mode shifts and spectral detail that greatly aids mode assignments. Previous RDX isolated-molecule calculations (with six calculated modes below 125 cm⁻¹) are incapable of accurately predicting the numerous features in this region, highlighting the importance of solid-state theoretical methods for solid-state terahertz feature assignments.     

Theoretical analysis of the terahertz spectrum of the high explosive PETN.

The experimental solid-state terahertz (THz) spectrum (3 to 120 cm(-1)) of the high explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN, C(5)H(6)N(4)O(12)) has been modeled using solid-state density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Solid-state DFT, employing the BP density functional, is in best qualitative agreement with the features in the previously reported THz spectrum. The crystal environment of PETN includes numerous intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions that contribute to large (up to 80 cm(-1)) calculated shifts in molecular normal-mode positions in the solid state. Comparison of the isolated-molecule and solid-state normal-mode calculations for a series of density functionals reveals the extent to which the inclusion of crystal-packing interactions and the relative motions between molecules are required for correctly reproducing the vibrational structure of solid-state THz spectra. The THz structure below 120 cm(-1) is a combination of both intermolecular (relative rotations and translations) and intramolecular (torsions, large amplitude motions) vibrational motions. Vibrational-mode analyses indicate that the first major feature (67.2 cm(-1)) in the PETN THz spectrum contains all of the optical rotational and translational cell modes and no internal (molecular) vibrational modes.     

Solid-state density functional theory investigation of the terahertz spectra of the structural isomers 1,2-dicyanobenzene and 1,3-dicyanobenzene

The high-resolution waveguide terahertz (THz) time-domain spectra (20-100 cm(-1)) of the two structural isomers 1,2-dicyanobenzene (1,2-DCB) and 1,3-dicyanobenzene (1,3-DCB) have been modeled and assigned using solid-state density functional theory. The THz spectra of these similar molecules are distinctly different in the low-frequency region with the differences being driven by modifications of the crystal packing arrangement between the isomers. Simulations utilizing the hybrid density functionals B3LYP and PBE0 were performed to determine the origins of the observed vibrational features. External lattice vibrations (hindered translations and rotations) are found to dominate these spectra, reinforcing the need for proper solid-state models in the analysis of the THz spectra of organic molecular solids. These calculations were able to account for all of the observed spectral features exhibited by both isomers, even in the case of 1,2-DCB, where the spectrum was found to be the result of two coexisting crystalline polymorphs.     

Intermolecular interactions,thermodynamic properties,crystal structure,and detonation performance of HMX/NTO cocrystal explosive

Previous studies have shown that the design of cocrystal explosives is one of the most promising approaches to decrease the sensitivity and maintain the detonation performance of existing explosives. As is well‐known, octahydro‐1,3,5,7‐tetranitro‐1,3,5,7‐tetrazocine (HMX) is a high energy density material (HEDM). But the application of HMX is limited, due to its high sensitivity. Thus, an insensitive explosive 5‐nitro‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐one (NTO) is proposed as a cocrystal former (CCF) to cocrystallize with HMX in the present work. The binding energies, heat of formations (HOFs), thermodynamic properties, atoms in molecules, and natural bond orbital analysis of four HMX/NTO complexes have been calculated using density functional theory methods, including meta‐hybrid functional (M062X) and dispersion‐corrected density functionals (B97D, ωB97XD). In addition, the crystal structure of HMX/NTO cocrystal has been investigated using Monte Carlo simulation and first principles methods. The HMX/NTO cocrystal is most likely to crystallize in triclinic crystal system with P1 space group, and corresponding cell parameters are Z = 2, a = 9.06 Å, b = 8.19 Å, c = 10.27 Å, α = 81.94^°, β = 98.42^°, γ = 82.03^°, and ρ = 1.92 g/cm³. The detonation velocity and detonation pressure of HMX/NTO cocrystal are 8.73 km/s and 35.14 GPa, respectively, a little lower than those of HMX. Finally, bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of the weakest trigger bond in HMX/NTO complexes are calculated. The results show that HMX/NTO complexes are thermally stable and meet the thermal requirement of HEDMs (BDE > 120 kJ/mol). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The terahertz spectrum and quantum chemical assignment of 2,2′-bithiophene in cyclohexane

The room temperature solution-phase terahertz (THz, 7 to 165 cm^?1) spectrum of 2,2′-bithiophene in cyclohexane is reported. Density functional theory (B3LYP) and ab initio (MP2) methods employing the 6-311++G(2d,2p) and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets are used to assign the THz vibrational structure and determine the relative populations of the cis and trans conformations, as well as the trans–trans rotational barrier height and the effects of the cyclohexane solvent on the predicted molecular geometries and vibrational frequencies. Significant differences are seen in the performance of the different theoretical methods, with the best performing method dependent upon the molecular property of interest. The best fit model of the experimental THz spectrum is achieved using MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ, which places the relative trans and cis populations at 54% and 46%, respectively.     

Characterization of high explosive particles using cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry

The use of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for the detection and spatially resolved analysis of individual high explosive particles is described. A C(8) (-) carbon cluster primary ion beam was used in a commercial SIMS instrument to analyze samples of high explosives dispersed as particles on silicon substrates. In comparison with monatomic primary ion bombardment, the carbon cluster primary ion beam was found to greatly enhance characteristic secondary ion signals from the explosive compounds while causing minimal beam-induced degradation. The resistance of these compounds to degradation under ion bombardment allows explosive particles to be analyzed under high primary ion dose bombardment (dynamic SIMS) conditions, facilitating the rapid acquisition of spatially resolved molecular information. The use of cluster SIMS combined with computer control of the sample stage position allows for the automated identification and counting of explosive particle distributions on silicon surfaces. This will be useful for characterizing the efficiency of transfer of particulates in trace explosive detection portal collectors and/or swipes utilized for ion mobility spectrometry applications.     

A study into the effect of subtle structural details and disorder on the terahertz spectrum of crystalline benzoic acid

The phonon modes of crystalline benzoic acid have been investigated using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, rigid molecule atom-atom model potential and plane-wave density functional theory lattice dynamics calculations. The simulation results show good agreement with the measured terahertz spectra and an assignment of the terahertz absorption features of benzoic acid is made with the help of both computational methods. Focussing on the strongest interactions in the crystal, we describe each vibration in terms of distortions of the benzoic acid hydrogen bonded dimers that are present in the crystal structure. The terahertz spectrum is also shown to be highly sensitive to the location of the carboxylic acid hydrogen atoms in the cyclic hydrogen-bonded dimers and we have systematically explored the influence of the observed disorder in the hydrogen atom positions on the lattice dynamics.     

Solid-state reaction of niobium with diamond carbon at high pressure and high temperature to form superconducting composite

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Long-range influence of carbohydrates on the solvation dynamics of water--answers from terahertz absorption measurements and molecular modeling simulations

We present new terahertz (THz) spectroscopic measurements of solvated sugars and compare the effect of two disaccharides (trehalose and lactose) and one monosaccharide (glucose) with respect to the solute-induced changes in the sub-picosecond network dynamics of the hydration water. We found that the solute affects the fast collective network motions of the solvent, even beyond the first solvation layer. For all three carbohydrates, we find an increase of 2-4% in the THz absorption coefficient of the hydration water in comparison to bulk water. Concentration-dependent changes in the THz absorption between 2.1 and 2.8 THz of the solute-water mixture were measured with a precision better than 1% and were used to deduce a dynamical hydration shell, which extends from the surface up to 5.7 +/- 0.4 and 6.5 +/- 0.9 A for the disaccharides lactose and trehalose, respectively, and 3.7 +/- 0.9 A for the glucose. This exceeds the values for the static hydration shell as determined, for example, by scattering, where the long-range structure was found to be not significantly affected by the solute beyond the first hydration shell. When comparing all three carbohydrates, we found that the solute-induced change in the THz absorption depends on the product of molar concentration of the solute and the number of hydrogen bonds between the carbohydrate and water molecules. We can conclude that the long-range influence on the sub-picosecond collective water network motions of the hydration water is directly correlated with the average number of hydrogen bonds between the molecule and adjacent water molecules for carbohydrates. This implies that monosaccharides have a smaller influence on the surrounding water molecules than disaccharides. This could explain the bioprotection mechanism of sugar-water mixtures, which has been found to be more effective for disaccharides than for monosaccharides.     

Temperature-dependent far-infrared spectra of single crystals of high explosives using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Survey spectra of single-crystal HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine), RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine), and PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) were acquired in the region from 10 to 80 cm(-1) using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The spectra were taken at temperatures ranging from 8.4 to 300 K. Generally, the spectra show multiple absorption peaks in the range 50-80 cm(-1), with PETN (110) showing strong absorption features at room temperature. RDX (210) is the most notable in the region 10-40 cm(-1), showing multiple spectral features, while HMX (010) shows a very broad absorption at 47.8 cm(-1) with a fwhm of 37.3 cm(-1). Future plans include polarization-dependent investigations for multiple crystallographic orientations over an increased spectral range and higher-level theoretical calculations.     

HMX和HMX/HTPB PBX的晶体缺陷理论研究

建立空位和掺杂点缺陷模型, 用分子动力学(MD)方法, 研究晶体缺陷对β-环四亚甲基硝胺(HMX)和β-HMX/HTPB(端羟基聚丁二烯)高聚物粘结炸药(PBX)的力学性能和爆炸性能的影响. 结果表明, 相对于HMX“完美”晶体(1)考察缺陷晶体(2和3), 以及相对于HMX完美晶体基PBX(1)考察缺陷PBX 2和PBX 3, 均发现弹性系数和(拉伸、体积、剪切)模量下降, 导致体系刚性减弱, 延展性和韧性增强. 这与在基炸药HMX晶体(1, 2和3)中分别加入HTPB高聚物粘结剂形成PBX 1, PBX 2和PBX 3呈现类似的相应的变化趋势和效果. 此外, 研究表明, 爆炸性质也依赖于体系的组成和结构. 因加入的是低能高聚物, 故PBX(1), PBX(2)和PBX(3)的爆热、爆速和爆压均比相应的基炸药(1, 2和3)低, 即晶体(1)＞PBX(1), 晶体(2)＞PBX(2), 晶体(3)＞PBX(3). PBX(1), PBX(2), PBX(3)与对应基炸药(1, 2, 3)的爆速和爆压取相同变化次序, 亦即PBX(1)＞PBX(2)＞PBX(3)对应于晶体(1)＞晶体(2)＞晶体(3). 这些计算结果和规律对PBX配方设计显然具有指导作用.     

Dinitromethyl,fluorodinitromethyl derivatives of RDX and HMX as high energy density materials: a computational study

Structural Chemistry - The development of high energy density materials (HEDMs) with balanced detonation energy and sensitivity is an urgent task in the current energetic material field. Here, by...     

Solid phase microextraction sampling of high explosive residues in the presence of radionuclides and radionuclide surrogate metals

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory currently does not have on site facilities for handling radioactive evidentiary materials and there are no established FBI methods or procedures for decontaminating high explosive (HE) evidence while maintaining evidentiary value. One experimental method for the isolation of HE residue involves using solid phase microextraction (SPME) fibers to remove residue of interest. Due to their high affinity for organics, SPME fibers should have little affinity for most metals. However, no studies have measured the affinity of radionuclides for SPME fibers. The focus of this research was to examine the affinity of dissolved radionuclide (^239/240Pu, ²³⁸U, ²³⁷Np, ⁸⁵Sr, ¹³³Ba, ¹³⁷Cs, ⁶⁰Co and ²²⁶Ra) and stable radionuclide surrogate metals (Sr, Co, Ir, Re, Ni, Ba, Cs, Nb, Ru, and Nd) for SPME fibers at the exposure conditions that favor the uptake of HE residues. Our results from radiochemical and mass spectrometric analyses indicate these metals have little measurable affinity for these SPME fibers during conditions that are conducive to HE residue uptake with subsequent analysis by liquid or gas phase chromatography with mass spectrometric detection.     

多壁碳纳米管/高密度聚乙烯复合体系在太赫兹波段的光学性质研究

利用太赫兹时域光谱研究了多壁碳纳米管/高密度聚乙烯(MWNTs/HDPE)复合体系的光学性质.第一次使用MG模型提取了不同浓度下MWNTs的光学常数,并利用DL模型对结果进行了解释.     

An interferometric spectrum analyzer with high dynamic range

The dynamic range improvement and realization of the acousto-optic spectrum analyzer are reported. When two RF signals of equal strengths and frequencies f₁ and f₂ are applied simultaneously to the signal Bragg cell, the analyzer demonstrates a dynamic range of 50 dB and frequency resolution 10 kHz.     

The high resolution subvalenced-shell absorption spectrum of zinc I

The absorption spectrum of atomic zinc due to transitions from the first subvalenced-shell has been reinvestigated at high resolution using synchrotron radiation as the background source. The data on the six series converging onto the inverted doublet of the first excited state of zinc II (3d ⁹4s ^{2 2} D _{3/2, 5/2}) have been extended to highern-values. The splitting of the leading members of thef-series converging towards the lower limit (3d ⁹4s ²(² D _5/2)nf a, b) is observed for the first time (n=4: (5.7±1) cm^?1). The experimental data is analysed using two different theoretical approaches. First, the overall consistency of the data is analysed using a six-channel two-limit MQDT model. As a consequence, the value of the energy of the² D _5/2-limit is revised to be (138,493.7±1) cm^?1. The second approach consists of Slater-Condon type calculations for the 3d ⁹4s ² np (n=4, ..., 9) configurations. Three different methods for calculating energy levels are presented:

1. numerical diagonalisation ofd ⁹ p energy matrix in the appropriate coupling scheme and fitting of relevant parameters to experimental level energies.
2. the Shortley and Fried method [1, 2].
3. analytical formulae inj _c K-coupling with fitting as under (a).

It is shown that method (c), which is easily handled, offers sufficient accuracy for the configurations 3d ⁹4s ² np (n>4).     

HMX晶体和HMX/F2311 PBXs力学性能的MD模拟研究

用分子动力学方法, 在295 K NVT系综和COMPASS力场下, 对环四甲撑四硝胺(HMX)晶体和F₂₃₁₁沿HMX (001), (010)和(100)晶面所构成PBXs模型的力学性能进行模拟研究. 结果表明, 加入F₂₃₁₁降低了HMX的刚性, 增强了它的延展性. 在HMX (100)面上添加F₂₃₁₁对提高体系的延展性较显著. 为考察温度对力学性能的影响及其机理, 在245～445 K范围完成对HMX (100)/F₂₃₁₁ PBX的MD模拟. 力学分析表明, 随温度增加HMX (100)/F₂₃₁₁的延展性呈抛物线变化规律, 归因于F₂₃₁₁分子链的运动及其构象随温度的变化.