Fluorinated tellurium(IV) azides and their precursors

The perfluoroaryl tellurolates C₆F₅TeLi (1) and 4-CF₃C₆F₄TeLi (2) were prepared. These intermediates were identified by NMR spectroscopy and may form, depending on the reaction conditions, either the corresponding ditellanes C₆F₅TeTeC₆F₅ (3) and CF₃C₆F₄TeTeC₆F₄CF₃ (4) by subsequent oxidation, or in the case of 1, a telluranthrene (C₆F₄Te)₂ (5) by reaction with itself. The halogenation products of 5, ( C₆F₄Te)₂F₄ (6), (C₆F₄Te)₂Cl₄ (7), (C₆F₄Te)₂Br₄ (8), as well as the azidation product (C₆F₄Te)₂(N₃)₄ (9) were synthesized. Furthermore, in pursuit of our recent work on tellurium azides, the syntheses and properties of R₂Te(N₃)₂ (R=CF₃ (10), C₆F₂H₃ (11)) and RTe(N₃)₃ (R=CF₃ (12) and C₆F₅ (13)) are reported. The crystal structures of CF₃C₆F₄TeTeC₆F₄CF₃ (4), (C₆F₄Te)₂Br₄ (8), and (C₆F₂H₃)₂Te(N₃)₂ (11) were determined.     

Fluorine in Small Molecules: Fluoromethyl Azide and Chalcogenocyanates

Fluoromethylating agents are a highly studied and controversely discussed class of compounds. New fluoromethyl pseudohalides FCH₂N₃, FCH₂SCN, and FCH₂SeCN were prepared for the first time and their physical and spectroscopic properties investigated. Their synthesis is performed conveniently by fluoromethylation of the respective silver or potassium pseudohalogenides with fluoroiodomethane.     

Multiply Nitrated High‐Energy Dense Oxidizers Derived from the Simple Amino Acid Glycine

Various energetic polynitro esters, carbamates, and nitrocarbamates that were derived from the amino acid glycine were fully characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, vibrational spectroscopy (IR and Raman), multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Owing to their positive oxygen balance, the suitability of these compounds as potential oxidizers in energetic formulations was investigated and discussed. In addition, the heats of formation of the products were calculated by using the Gaussian 09 program package at the CBS‐4M level of theory. From these values and the calculated densities (from the X‐ray data), several detonation parameters, such as detonation pressure, velocity, energy, and temperature, were computed by using the EXPLO5 code. Furthermore, their sensitivities towards impact, friction, and electrostatic discharge were tested by using a drop hammer, a friction tester (both BAM certified), and a small‐scale electrical‐discharge device, respectively.     

The Reagent‐depending Nitration of 1,3‐Dihydroxyacetone Dimer

Two highly energetic nitric acid esters were synthesized from the dimer of dihydroxyacetone. 1,3‐Dinitratoacetone ( 1 ) and its dimer 2,5‐bis(nitratomethyl‐2,5‐nitrato)‐1,4‐dioxane ( 2 ) were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, vibrational spectroscopy (IR and Raman), multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The thermal behavior was investigated with DTA measurements. Although showing the same atomic stoichiometry, dimer 2 shows significantly higher sensitivities measured by BAM methods (drophammer and friction tester). Due to the high oxygen content of 62.2 %, 1 and 2 were evaluated as potential high energy dense oxidizers.     

Selenium(IV) fluoride and oxofluoride anions

The [((C₆H₅)₃P)₂N]⁺, [(C₆H₅)₄P]⁺ and [N(CH₃)₄]⁺ salts of SeF₅⁻, SeF₆²⁻ and SeOF₃⁻ and CsSeO₂F were prepared and characterized. Crystal structures were obtained for [((C₆H₅)₃P)₂N][SeF₅] and [((C₆H₅)₃P)₂N][SeOF₃] CH₂Cl₂. In contrast to oxygen-bridged dimeric TeOF₃⁻, the SeOF₃⁻ anion in [((C₆H₅)₃P)₂N][SeOF₃] CH₂Cl₂ is monomeric and represents the first experimentally well determined molecular structure of a monomeric trifluoro-chalcogenite anion. Similarly, [((C₆H₅)₃P)₂N][SeF₅] represents the first example of a structure containing a well-isolated undistorted SeF₅⁻ anion. The NMR and the vibrational spectra and their assignments were re-examined and corrected by comparison with high-level theoretical calculations. Whereas the previously published normal coordinate analysis of SeF₅⁻ is correct, that for SeOF₃⁻ needs major revision.     

Halogenation of Dibenzoselenophene and Dibenzo[1,2]diselenine

The syntheses of the selenium containing heterocycles dibenzoselenophene ( 1 ≡ biphenSe) and dibenzo[1,2]diselenine ( 2 ≡ biphenSe₂) were optimized. The halogenation reactions of 1 and 2 with XeF₂, SO₂Cl₂, Br₂ and I₂ were performed and the corresponding products characterized. In the case of 1 , the selenium(IV) dihalogenides, biphenSeF₂ ( 3 ), biphenSeCl₂ ( 4 ), biphenSeBr₂ ( 5 ), and the adduct biphenSe·I₂ ( 6 ), were isolated and identified. The extremely sensitive selenium(IV) difluoride 3 slowly formed significant amounts of an adduct with HF of the corresponding selenium(IV) oxide biphenSeO·HF ( 3a ) upon storage in glass vessels at low temperatures. In the case of 2 , the selenium(IV) trihalogenides, biphen(SeHal₃)₂ (Hal = F, Cl, Br), were found to be extremely labile (Hal = F) or not detectable (Hal = Cl, Br). Instead, as decomposition products, the selenium chloride species Se₂Cl₂, SeCl₄ and 1 were detected. In the case of Hal = I, the stable adduct biphenSe₂·I₂ ( 7 ) was isolated. In addition to characterization by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, several molecular structures of biphen‐selenium substituted halogenides were determined.     

Studies on the properties of organoselenium(IV) fluorides and azides

The reaction of organoselenides and -diselenides (R2Se and (RSe)2) with XeF2 furnished the corresponding organoselenium(IV) difluorides R2SeF2 (R=Me (1), Et (2), iPr (3), Ph (4), Mes (=2,4,6-(Me)3C6H2) (5), Tipp (=2,4,6-(iPr)3C6H2) (6), 2-Me 2NCH2C6H4 (7)), and trifluorides RSeF3 (R=Me (8), iPr (9), Ph (10), Mes (11), Tipp (12), Mes* (=2,4,6-(tBu) 3C6H2) (13), 2-Me2NCH2C6H4 (14)), respectively. In addition to characterization by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, the first molecular structure of an organoselenium(IV) difluoride as well as the molecular structures of subsequent decomposition products have been determined. The substitution of fluorine atoms with Me3SiN3 leads to the corresponding organoselenium(IV) diazides R2Se(N3)2 (R=Me (15), Et (16), iPr (17), Ph (18), Mes (19), 2-Me 2NCH2C6H4 (20)) and triazides RSe(N3)3 (R=Me (21), iPr (22), Ph (23), Mes (24), Tipp (25), Mes* (26), 2-Me2NCH2C6H4 (27)), respectively. The organoselenium azides are extremely temperature-sensitive materials and can only be handled at low temperatures.     

Nitraza-/Oxa-Propylene- and Hydrazonemethylene-Bridged 1,2,4-Nitraminotriazoles and Selected Salts

Two new bridged nitraminotriazoles with bridging oxapropylene and nitrazapropylene moieties were synthesized, and converted into several salts, as well as from the hydrazonemethylene bridged nitraminotriazole. All compounds were fully characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis as well as differential thermal analysis. The sensitivity towards friction and impact were determined according to BAM standard technics and the energetic properties were calculated by using the EXPLO5 computer code. The neutral compounds as well as the various salts were examined in terms of their physicochemical properties and detonation performance to each other and compared to the commonly used secondary explosive RDX.     

Selected Nitrocarbamates of Glycerine & Co. and the First Acetylene Derivative

A simple two step synthesis route for the preparation of several energetic multivalent nitrocarbamates of easily available alcohols is presented. The carbamates were obtained by the reaction of the alcohols and the reactive reagent chlorosulfonyl isocyanate (CSI) with subsequent aqueous work‐up. The nitration of the carbamates was performed with mixed acid (nitric and sulfuric acid). The thermal stabilities were explored by using differential scanning calorimetry and the energies of formation were calculated on the CBS‐4M level of theory, as well as several detonation and propulsion parameters for the application as energetic materials. All compounds were fully characterized and discussed in addition with single X‐ray diffraction.