A 1:1 energetic co-crystal formed between trinitrotoluene and 2,3-diaminotoluene

Abstract

A 1:1 co-crystal of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 2,3-diaminotoluene was prepared by solvent evapo- ration, and the structure of the co-crystal was determined by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. The results indicate that the main mechanism of co-crystallization originates from the intermolecular hy- drogen bonding (amino-nitro) and π-π stacking. We also examined the Hirshfeld surfaces and associated fingerprint plots of the co-crystal and reveal that the structures are stabilized by H…H, O–H, O…O and C…C (π-π) intermolecular interactions. We analyzed the crystal packing and show its influence upon im- pact sensitivity. The results highlight that co-crystallization is an effective way to modify the sensitivity, oxygen balance and density of explosives.