Trinitramide is a compound of nitrogen and oxygen with the molecular formula N(NO2)3. The compound was detected and described in 2010 by researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden.[1] It is made of a nitrogen atom bonded to three nitro groups (−NO2).

Trinitramide
Structural formula of trinitramide
Space-filling model of trinitramide
Names
IUPAC name
N,N-Dinitronitramide
Other names
  • Trinitroamine
  • Trinitroammonia
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
  • InChI=1S/N4O6/c5-2(6)1(3(7)8)4(9)10 checkY
    Key: LZLKDWBQTGTOQY-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  • O=N(=O)N(N(=O)=O)N(=O)=O
  • N([N+](=O)[O-])([N+](=O)[O-])[N+](=O)[O-]
Properties
N(NO2)3
Molar mass 152.022 g·mol−1
Related compounds
Related compounds
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
checkY verify (what is checkY☒N ?)

Earlier, there had been speculation[by whom?] whether trinitramide could exist.[need quotation to verify] Theoretical calculations by Montgomery and Michels in 1993 showed that the compound was likely to be stable.[2]

Preparation

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Trinitramide is prepared by the nitration reaction of either potassium dinitramide or ammonium dinitramide with nitronium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile at low temperatures.[1]

[NH4]+[N(NO2)2] + [NO2]+[BF4] → N(NO2)3 + [NH4]+[BF4]

Uses

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Trinitramide has a potential use as one of the most efficient and least polluting of rocket propellant oxidizers, as it is chlorine-free.[3] This is potentially an important development, because the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation implies that even small improvements in specific impulse yields a similar change in delta-v, which can make large improvements in the size of practical rocket launch payloads. The density impulse (impulse per volume) of a trinitramide based propellant could be 20 to 30 percent better than most existing formulations,[4] however the specific impulse (impulse per mass) of formulations with liquid oxygen is higher.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Rahm Martin (2010). "Experimental Detection of Trinitramide, N(NO2)3". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 50 (5): 1145–1148. doi:10.1002/anie.201007047. PMID 21268214. S2CID 32952729.
  2. ^ J. A. Montgomery Jr. & H. H. Michels (July 1993). "Structure and stability of trinitramide". Journal of Physical Chemistry. 97 (26): 6774–6775. doi:10.1021/j100128a005.
  3. ^ Discovery of New Molecule Could Lead to More Efficient Rocket Fuel, Science Daily, 2010-12-22, accessed 2011-01-03.
  4. ^ "New molecule could propel rockets".