The need continues for new powerful but insensitive explosive ingredients, which match the performance of RDX with the insensitivity of TATB. One approach has been to take the inherent stability of an aromatic heterocycle, combine this with the explosive insensitivity and thermal stability associated with alternating amino and nitro groups, and to supplement the performance of the molecule with an energy contribution from the N-oxide functionality. The synthesis, characterization and properties (both sensitivity and performance) of aminonitropyridine-l-oxides and aminonitropyrimidine-1,3-dioxides will be described.

Six CVD diamond thin films were examined by magic angle spinning (MAS) 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Raman, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The use of film samples cut to the diameter of the magic-angle spinning rotor provided ease of spinning and the opportunity to obtain good signal-to-noise spectra in 4 to 16 h. MAS NMR linewidths exhibit a linear correlation with Raman linewidths and reflect the optical quality of the material. Residual MAS NMR linewidths most likely arise from a combination of crystal defect sites and paramagnetic effects.