Discovery of new molecule can lead to more efficient rocket fuel

[Spyman]

Discovery of new molecule can lead to more efficient rocket fuel

Trinitramid – that's the name of the new molecule that may be a component in future rocket fuel. This fuel could be 20-30 percent more efficient in comparison with the best rocket fuels we have today. The discovery was made at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-12/src-don122210.php

[michel123456]

Wikipedia is instantaneous!

"This page was last modified on 22 December 2010 at 20:42."

 

Quicker than the own site of KTH.

Edited December 23, 2010 by michel123456

[Mr Skeptic]

Bet its still worse than hydrogen and oxygen.

[mississippichem]

If that's the structure I think it is, nitrogen surrounded by three nitrate groups that should be somewhat unstable (good for a rocket fuel I would imagine). I wonder if they had to isolate it in a solid argon matrix or something. I would also like to know what the hybridization on the central nitrogen is, there might be some highly hyperconjugated [math] \pi [/math]-system stabilizing the compound if the central nitrogen isn't purely [math] sp^{3} [/math]. I would kill to see an X-band EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) spectrum of this. There are probably very unique hyperfine splitting patterns. Not many compounds have a radical that can bounce between four equal Z nuclei in such a high symmetry environment, not because it is difficult, because this situation just doesn't arise much.

[CaptainPanic]

Does anyone know what state this material is in at ambient pressure and temperature? What kind of rocket can be powered by it? Solid? Liquid? Monopropellant?

 

I admit that I haven't been able to read too much of the articles. Some links didn't seem to work.