Trinitramide
{{Chembox
| Watchedfields = changed
| verifiedrevid = 405508799
| ImageFileL1 = trinitramide.svg
| ImageFileL1_Ref = {{Chemboximage|correct|??}}
| ImageSizeL1 = 121
| ImageAltL1 = Structural formula of trinitramide
| ImageFileR1 = Trinitramide-3D-spacefill.png
| ImageSizeR1 = 121
| ImageAltR1 = Space-filling model of trinitramide
| IUPACName = N,N-Dinitronitramide
| OtherNames = {{ubl|Trinitroamine|Trinitroammonia}}
| SystematicName =
|Section1={{Chembox Identifiers
| CASNo = 113282-38-5
| CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}
| ChemSpiderID = 24751851
| ChemSpiderID_Ref = {{chemspidercite|correct|chemspider}}
| PubChem = 57459337
| SMILES = O=N(=O)N(N(=O)=O)N(=O)=O
| SMILES1 = N([N+](=O)[O-])([N+](=O)[O-])[N+](=O)[O-]
| StdInChI = 1S/N4O6/c5-2(6)1(3(7)8)4(9)10
| StdInChI_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}
| StdInChIKey = LZLKDWBQTGTOQY-UHFFFAOYSA-N
| StdInChIKey_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}}}
|Section2={{Chembox Properties
| Formula = {{chem2|N(NO2)3}}
| N=4 | O=6}}
| Section8 = {{Chembox Related
| OtherCompounds = {{ubl|Ammonia|Nitramide|Dinitramide|Dinitrogen pentoxide|Tetranitromethane|Nitroformate}}
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Trinitramide is a compound of nitrogen and oxygen with the molecular formula {{chem2|N(NO2)3|auto=1}}. The compound was detected and described in 2010 by researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden.{{cite journal|doi=10.1002/anie.201007047 | pmid=21268214 | volume=50 | issue=5 | title=Experimental Detection of Trinitramide, N(NO2)3 | year=2010 | journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition | pages=1145–1148 | author=Rahm Martin| s2cid=32952729}} It is made of a nitrogen atom bonded to three nitro groups ({{chem2|\sNO2}}).
Earlier, there had been speculation{{By whom|date=January 2011}} whether trinitramide could exist.{{Request quotation|date=January 2011}} Theoretical calculations by Montgomery and Michels in 1993 showed that the compound was likely to be stable.{{cite journal |title=Structure and stability of trinitramide |author=J. A. Montgomery Jr. |author2=H. H. Michels |name-list-style=amp |journal=Journal of Physical Chemistry |volume= 97 |issue=26 |pages=6774–6775 |date=July 1993 |doi=10.1021/j100128a005}}
Preparation
Trinitramide is prepared by the nitration reaction of either potassium dinitramide or ammonium dinitramide with nitronium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile at low temperatures.
:{{chem2|[NH4]+[N(NO2)2]− + [NO2]+[BF4]− → N(NO2)3 + [NH4]+[BF4]−}}
Uses
Trinitramide has a potential use as one of the most efficient and least polluting of rocket propellant oxidizers, as it is chlorine-free.[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101222071831.htm Discovery of New Molecule Could Lead to More Efficient Rocket Fuel], Science Daily, 2010-12-22, accessed 2011-01-03.
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,{{Cite web | url=http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/January/07011103.asp | title=New molecule could propel rockets}} however the specific impulse (impulse per mass) of formulations with liquid oxygen is higher.