Energetic isomers often exhibit different properties. To understand the effect of arrangement and connection of isomers on energetic properties and sensitivity, in this study, we designed and synthesized a series of oxadiazole nitramine compounds including N-(5-(5-(nitramino)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl)nitramide (NOON) and its ionic derivatives. NOON exhibits comparable performance (D = 8888 m s−1, P = 34.1 GPa) to highly explosive RDX. A comparative study of detonation properties, sensitivity, and thermal stability of the three oxadiazole nitramine isomers (NOON, ICM-101, and DNBO) is carried out. The results show that due to the proton transformation, strong intramolecular hydrogen bonding interaction, and formation of six-membered ring conformation, the 2-nitramino-1,3,4-oxadiazole building block exhibits better detonation properties and higher thermal stability than its isomer 2-nitramino-1,2,4-oxadiazole.
