Posted on 08/03/2025 5:51:22 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie
Slashdot reader ffkom writes: The air around you mostly consists of nitrogen [78%]. And in that air exist happy little monogamous pairs of two nitrogen atoms per molecule, also known as N2. Researchers from the University of Giessen, Germany, recently managed to synthesize N6 molecules, "the first, to our knowledge, experimentally realized neutral molecular nitrogen allotrope beyond N2 that exhibits unexpected stability."
And these appear to be pretty angry little molecules, as they detonate at more than twice the energy density than good old TNT:
A kiloton of N6 is 1.19×10**7mol, which can release an energy of 2.20×109kcal (9.21terajoules) based on the enthalpy. Considering that the standard kiloton TNT equivalent is 4.184terajoules, N6 can release 2.2 times the energy of TNT of the same weight. On the basis of the documented TNT equivalent based on weight for HMX (1.15) and RDX (1.15), N6 can release 1.9 times the energy of HMX or RDX with the same weight.
In interviews the researchers contemplated the possibility of using N6 as rocket fuel, given its superior energy density and that its reaction product is just N2, so basically air, but no smoke, no CO2 or other potentially harmful substances.
In other news, Golden Apollo has announced its new slim N6000 Ruggedized Pager.
How stable is it?
L
>> How stable is it?
You wouldn’t want to horse around with it.
A kiloton of N6 is a whole lotta molecules.
I wonder what it takes to detonate it. Does it need an oxidizer of some kind?
Apparently not according to the excerpt.
Probably just a high energy initiator.
Similar to other nigh explosives.
I guess it would depend on The cost and amount of energy needed to synthesize it.
From the article it appears to release energy as it reverts to its lazy form, N2. (Our chemistry professor told us “matter is lazy”)
I always liked nitrogen tri-iodide. Used to let it dry on walkways. Just little bits.
“I always liked nitrogen tri-iodide. Used to let it dry on walkways. Just little bits.”
Hey me too. It really rattled a couple of guys so I stopped.
Very unstable.
I asked my high school teacher how to make it. He said if I aced my final he would show me.
I did and he did.
Unfortunately very expensive to make.
-I wonder what it takes to detonate it. Does it need an oxidizer of some kind?-
No oxidizer is needed. You have to keep N6 at super low tempatures (77 Kelvin) of it will spontaneous explode with natural N2 will be the result.
Keep it very very cold or it will explode.
TNT would make a terrible rocket fuel. Even gasoline has a much higher energy density.
Coming to an Iman near you!
I asked my high school teacher how to make it. He said if I aced my final he would show me.
https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=1952192176852505074
“(Our chemistry professor told us “matter is lazy”)”
Everything we call matter is actually a form of lazy energy.
“I wonder what it takes to detonate it. Does it need an oxidizer of some kind?”
Article: “given its superior energy density and that its reaction product is just N2,”
Is the author trash talking the deadly thruple dihydrogen monoxide?
Explosive new technology.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.