Catalytic Role of Solvated Electron in the Spontaneous Degradation of Insensitive Munition Compounds : Computational Chemistry Investigation

The DNAN (2,4-dinitroanisole), NTO (3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one), and NQ (nitroguanidine) are important insensitive energetic materials used in military applications. They may find their way to the environment during manufacturing, transportation, storage, training, and disposal. A detailed investigation of possible mechanisms for self-degradation of radical-anions formed by addition of solvated electron to DNAN, NTO, and NQ species was performed by computational study using the PCM(Pauling)/M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) approach. Obtained results suggest that only NQ radical-anion is able for self-degradation by elimination of nitrite anion. Formation of urea radical on the earlier stage of the NQ radical-anion degradation was also predicted.