Correlation between Structure and Energetic Properties of Three Nitroaromatic Compounds: Bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl) Ether, Bis(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) Ether, and Bis(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) Thioether.

Decades after the initial discovery of bis(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) ether derivatives, the first single-crystal X-ray structures for three members of this compound class can finally be shown and the analytical data could be completed. This group of molecules is an interesting example that illustrates why older predictive models for the sensitivity values of energetic materials like bond dissociation enthalpy and electrostatic potential sometimes give results that deviate significantly from the experimentally determined values. By applying newer models like Hirshfeld surface analysis and fingerprint plot analysis that utilize the crystal structure of an energetic material, the experimentally found trend of sensitivities could be understood and the older models could be brought into a proper perspective. In the future, the prediction of structure-property relationships for energetic molecules starting from a crystal structure can be achieved and should be pursued.