On the photochemical phenomenon in TATB

Abstract TATB (1,3,5 triaminotrinitrobenzene) is a yellow compound that slowly changes to green upon exposure to sunlight. IR, UV-Visible, and ESCA data pertaining to this phenomenon are presented. It is shown that various types of irradiation can induce NO2 loss, radical formation, or secondary amine production in TATB. Molecular orbital calculations are used to dispute the previously assigned structure of the radical in irradiated TATB.