In order to improve the safety of energetic compositions, whether it has to be worked with less sensitive materials that are often less powerful or with high energetic materials crystals with improved purity and microstructure quality. A way to modify the crystal quality of an energetic material is to structure the matter on the nanoscale: the crystals size reduction should induce impurity modifications in the particles. That is one of the reasons why interest in nanoenergetic compositions that contain high energetic material (≥ 90 wt‐%) and an organic matrix (≤ 10 wt‐%) that takes part in constraining the explosive to organize itself on the nanoscale arose. The key point is to find or synthesize the matrix. In the course of this study, first ammonium perchlorate compositions structured on the nanoscale were synthesized (150 nm AP particles (80 wt‐%) dispersed in an organogel matrix (20 wt‐%)). The formulation process was based on the impregnation of porous organogels with a saturated aqueous solution of ammonium perchlorate followed by freeze drying. The overall composition had an oxygen balance equilibrated towards CO2. These AP nanocompositions show better safety behavior during combustion than there equivalent macrocompositions, while they burn more rapidly, with no degradation of their impact and thermal sensitivity properties. The formulation process of RDX nanocompositions is more complex as the solvent used is γ‐butyrolactone which can not be directly frozen dried. However, first RDX nanocompositions were formulated and characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray powder diffraction, and drop weight impact. Lately compressions of these RDX compositions were performed, prior to gap‐test experiments.

The ability of bis-triazinylpyridine (BTP) molecules to complex lanthanides is well-known in solution and can be judiciously utilized to elaborate solid sensing surfaces. This was done by synthesizing a new BTP derivative and covalently anchoring it onto gold surfaces. The BTP grafting, its chemical modification and the resultant lanthanide complexation were evaluated by combining X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Polarization Modulation-Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS). The detection of neodynium and europium cations was measured by a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM). Interestingly, when immobilized on gold, BTP appeared to show very distinct sensitivities towards Eu(3+) and Nd(3+). Moreover, these sensitivities could be controlled by varying the pH and/or the nitrate concentration in solution. This novel strategy, consisting of the immobilization of BTP sensing molecules, is thus very promising for sensitive and specific lanthanide detection.

A number of different quench media were evaluated in order to improve the characteristics of 2,6‐diamino‐3,5‐dinitropyrazine‐1‐oxide (LLM‐105) obtained via nitration of 2,6‐diaminopyrazine‐1‐oxide (DAPO). After a first screening phase, seven aqueous solutions containing a selected additive were used to quench the nitrating mixture in scale‐up experiments. Complete characterization of the resulting LLM‐105 indicated that nitrate salts as additives, especially ammonium and potassium nitrate, provided a high quality product, without requiring any further recrystallization. Notably, both particle morphology and thermal stability were significantly improved over the ones obtained using the standard pure water quench. This new DAPO‐LLM‐105 has been compared to the conventional DMP‐LLM‐105 and showed similar characteristics with even better insensitivity data.