Desensitization of high explosives by encapsulation in metal-organic frameworks

[Display omitted] •A high explosive (HE) is encapsulated in MOFs for its desensitization.•Highest pore utilization was observed with mesoporous MOFs.•The MOFs maintained their morphology after HE encapsulation.•Impact sensitivity and friction sensitivity of HE decreased after encapsulation. High explosives (HEs) that contain a large amount of potential energy are used in various fields, including the military, mining, and construction industries. The detonation of these high-energy materials should be initiated by a desired and expected external energy; however, unintentional initiation occurs owing to internal voids inside the high explosives, referred to as hotspots. To address this issue, in this study, one of the representative HEs, 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX), was confined in nanoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high surface areas and high pore volumes to decrease the hotspots and provide a rigid shield. The RDX-encapsulated mesoporous MOF (pore volume of 1.4 cm3/g) showed lower impact sensitivity (23%) and friction sensitivity (125%) compared to those of the non-encapsulated RDX, owing to the decrease in hotspots due to the nano-sizing of the HE and protection from external impact provided by the rigid MOF structure.