Energetic 2,2-Dimethyltriazanium Salts: A New Family of Nitrogen-Rich Hydrazine Derivatives

Amination of 1,1-dimethylhydrazine with NH2 Cl or hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid yields 2,2-dimethyltriazanium (DMTZ) chloride (3) and sulphate (4), respectively. The DMTZ cation was paired with the nitrogen-rich anions 5-aminotetrazolate (5), 5-nitrotetrazolate (6), 5,5'-azobistetrazolate (7), and azide (8), yielding a new family of energetic salts. The synthesis was carried out by metathesis reactions of salts 3 or 4 and a suitable silver or barium salt. To minimize the risks involved when using heavy metal salts, we used electrodialysis for the synthesis of azide 8, which avoids the use of highly sensitive species. The DMTZ derivatives were characterized by IR and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Thermal stabilities were measured using DSC analysis and their sensitivities towards classical stimuli were determined using standard tests. Lastly, the relationship between hydrogen bonding in the solid state and sensitivity is discussed.