Heptanitrocubane
Encyclopedia
Heptanitrocubane is a new experimental high explosive based on the cubic eight-carbon cubane
molecule and closely related to octanitrocubane
. Seven of the eight hydrogen
atoms at the corners of the cubane molecule are replaced by nitro
groups, giving the final molecular formula .
As with octanitrocubane
, not enough heptanitrocubane has been synthesized to perform detailed tests on its stability and energy. It is hypothesized to have slightly better performance than explosives such as HMX
, the current high-energy standard explosive, based on chemical energy analysis. While in theory not as energetic as octanitrocubane's theoretical maximum density, the HNC that has been synthesized so far is a more effective explosive than any ONC that has been produced, due to more efficient crystal packing and hence higher density.
Heptanitrocubane was first synthesized by the same team who synthesized octanitrocubane, Philip Eaton
and Mao-Xi Zhang at the University of Chicago
, in 1999.
Cubane
Cubane is a synthetic hydrocarbon molecule that consists of eight carbon atoms arranged at the corners of a cube, with one hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom. A solid crystalline substance, cubane is one of the Platonic hydrocarbons. It was first synthesized in 1964 by Philip Eaton, a...
molecule and closely related to octanitrocubane
Octanitrocubane
Octanitrocubane is a high explosive that, like TNT, is shock-insensitive , not detonating even when struck by a hammer...
. Seven of the eight hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
atoms at the corners of the cubane molecule are replaced by nitro
Nitro
-Chemistry:*Nitroglycerin, an explosive chemical compound*Nitromethane, the simplest organic nitro compound; also used to fuel high-performance internal-combustion engines*Nitrous oxide, "laughing gas", used in some dental procedures as an anaesthetic...
groups, giving the final molecular formula .
As with octanitrocubane
Octanitrocubane
Octanitrocubane is a high explosive that, like TNT, is shock-insensitive , not detonating even when struck by a hammer...
, not enough heptanitrocubane has been synthesized to perform detailed tests on its stability and energy. It is hypothesized to have slightly better performance than explosives such as HMX
HMX
HMX, also called octogen, is a powerful and relatively insensitive nitroamine high explosive, chemically related to RDX. Like RDX, the name has been variously listed as High Melting eXplosive, Her Majesty's eXplosive, High-velocity Military eXplosive, or High-Molecular-weight rdX.The molecular...
, the current high-energy standard explosive, based on chemical energy analysis. While in theory not as energetic as octanitrocubane's theoretical maximum density, the HNC that has been synthesized so far is a more effective explosive than any ONC that has been produced, due to more efficient crystal packing and hence higher density.
Heptanitrocubane was first synthesized by the same team who synthesized octanitrocubane, Philip Eaton
Philip Eaton
Philip E. Eaton is a Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the University of Chicago. He and his fellow researchers were the first to synthesize the "impossible" cubane molecule in 1964....
and Mao-Xi Zhang at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, in 1999.