High-Energy-Density Material with Magnetically Modulated Ignition

Preparation of a redox-frustrated high-energy-density energetic material is achieved by gentle protolysis of Mn[N(SiMe₃)₂]₂ with the perchlorate salt of the tetrazolamide [H₂N^tBuMeTz]ClO₄ (Tz = tetrazole), yielding the Mn₆N₆ hexagonal prismatic cluster, Mn₆(μ₃-NTz^tBuMe)₆(ClO₄)₆. Quantum mechanics-based molecular dynamics simulations of the decomposition of this molecule predict that magnetic ordering of the d⁵ Mn²⁺ ions influences the pathway and rates of decomposition, suggesting that the initiation of decomposition of the bulk material might be significantly retarded by an applied magnetic field. We report here experimental tests of the prediction showing that the presence of a 0.5 T magnetic field modulates the ignition onset temperature by +10.4 ± 3.9 °C (from 414 ± 4 °C), demonstrating the first example of a magnetically modulated explosive.