Trinitromethyl——A promising modifying group for energetic materials

The trinitromethyl group, a classical energetic moiety rich in nitrogen and oxygen, significantly enhances the density and detonation performance of nitrogen-oxygen heterocycles when used as a modifying group. Therefore, the properties of these trinitromethyl-modified systems are critical for advancing research on novel energetic materials such as propellants and explosives. This review systematically categorizes recent progress based on common heterocyclic frameworks, including triazole and oxadiazole derivatives. Comparative analyses show that incorporating the trinitromethyl group markedly improves oxygen content, density (typically exceeding 1.9 g cm-1), and detonation performance. Most derivatives exhibit detonation velocities above 8500 m s-1, with some approaching 9000 m s-1, demonstrating a clear advantage over their parent structures. These findings highlight the group’s effectiveness in boosting energy output. Overall, trinitromethyl-bearing materials show strong potential to replace conventional explosives like TNT, RDX, and HMX in future applications.