"Skoltech researchers have identified over 220 carbon-oxygen compounds, many previously unknown, with some showing explosive energy close to that of TNT, despite lacking nitrogen. Their findings on oxocarbons open up new possibilities for space exploration, advanced batteries, and energetic materials, challenging conventional chemistry and expanding the understanding of molecular diversity. (Artist’s concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.com" (ScitechDaily, Rivaling TNT: Scientists Discover Bizarre “Magic Molecules” With Explosive Potential)
The idea of the new explosives is that there are lots of carbon atoms that will combine with oxygen atoms. That releases 75% more energy than TNT. The RDX gives 50% more energy than TNT. The research published by Russian researchers and ScitechDaily, and the risk that this technology causes is that those new carbon-oxygen chains will pass the explosive detector. Those molecules are like "frozen, nano-size powder explosions".
In normal, explosives, like TNT, nitrogen acts as a catalysator. The nitrogen ion in potassium nitrate makes black powder explode. All known explosives involve nitrogen. And the bomb detectors smell nitrogen ions from the air. But when we think about explosions. We must realize that. Explosion is only fast-burning. Another way to make an explosion is to increase the layer's size, where the material combines with oxygen. In aerosol bombs and combustion engines, the fuel-aerosol and oxygen combine.
"Image. Graphical abstract of the Skoltech study showing some of the possible carbon oxides in the range probed by the researchers: no more than 16 oxygen atoms, possibly zero atoms of either element. Credit: Elizaveta Vaneeva et al./Materials Today Energy" (ScitechDaily, Rivaling TNT: Scientists Discover Bizarre “Magic Molecules” With Explosive Potential)
The molecular structures of those new potential explosive molecules tell us that it's possible to create explosive graphene. There between those carbon atoms are oxygen atoms. So if every second of those atoms is carbon and every second is oxygen. That means that the maximum number of carbon atoms join to oxygen at the same time. It is also possible to make the explosive "hamburger" two graphene layers there is a 2D oxygen layer between those carbon layers.
The long carbon chain where oxygen and carbon atoms in rows like oxygen and carbon are one after one can make a very strong explosion. The idea is that the carbon and oxygen alternating in the chain. The explosion happens when large numbers of carbon atoms make a connection with oxygen atoms.
So what if we can make molecules like fullerene where there are oxygen atoms between carbon atoms? In that ball-shaped carbon-oxygen "fullerene" is carbon. And oxygen atoms side by side. When carbon and oxygen combine to make a chemical compound.
They form carbon monoxide or dioxide. That reaction happens in a large area if we compare that reaction area to molecule size. So large numbers of carbon and oxygen combine with each other at the same time. That causes the same situation as in an aerosol bomb but in a solid structure.
https://scitechdaily.com/rivaling-tnt-scientists-discover-bizarre-magic-molecules-with-explosive-potential/