The compound hexaazaisowurtzitane is one of the highest- energy explosives known (C & E News, p. 26, Jan. 17, 1994). The compound, also known as CL-20, was first synthesized in 1987. The method of synthesis and detailed performance data are still classified information because of CL- 20€™s potential military application in rocket boosters and in warheads of €œ smart€ weapons. The structure of CL- 20 is

In such shorthand structures, each point where lines meet represents a carbon atom. In addition, the hydro-gens attached to the carbon atoms are omitted. Each of the six carbon atoms has one hydrogen atom attached. Three possible reactions for the explosive decomposition of CL- 20 are
i. C6H6N12O12(s) †’ 6CO(g) + 6N2(g) + 3H2O(g) + 3/2 O2(g)
ii. C6H6N12O12(s) †’ 3CO(g) + 3CO2(g) + 6N2(g) + 3H2O(g)
iii. C6H6N12O12(s) †’ 6CO2(g) + 6N2(g) + 3H2(g)
a. Use bond energies to estimate DH for these three reactions.
b. Which of the above reactions releases the largest amount of energy per kilogram of CL- 20?

Transcribed Image Text:

O2N NO2 NO2