In situ growth of copper-based energetic complexes on GO and an MXene to synergistically promote the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate†

In this work, using tri(5-aminotetrazolium)triazine (H₃TATT) as an energetic ligand, two new energetic complexes (ECs), Cu(HTATT)(H₂O)₂ (EC-Cu1) and [Cu₃(TATT)₂(H₂O)₂]_n (EC-Cu2), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Their crystal structures, thermal decomposition behaviors and specific heat capacities were determined respectively. In addition, two ECs were combined with GO (graphene oxide) and an MXene (Ti₃C₂T_X) respectively by an in situ growth strategy to obtain four carbon nanomaterials/EC composites, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effects of two ECs and four composites on the thermal decomposition of AP were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Among them, the sample containing 8 wt% composite (GO/EC-Cu2) has the best promoting effect on AP, causing the high temperature decomposition peak to overlap with the low temperature decomposition peak of AP, reducing the decomposition peak temperature of AP from 443.6 °C to 308.9 °C, and the heat release is up to 4875 J g⁻¹. Compared with ECs acting solely on AP, composite materials have stronger synergistic and promoting effects. This study provides a new example of the synthesis of carbon nanomaterial/EC composites and the improvement of the performance of AP-based solid propellants.