Study on the Photolysis Route of Nano 2,2′,4,4′,6,6′-Hexanitrostillbene by Vibrational Spectroscopy

The understanding of the photolysis process of 2,2',4,4',6,6'-hexanitrostillbene (HNS, an insensitive high-energy explosive) is very important not only for enhancing the detonation performance but also for its lifetime prediction. In this work, UV-Vis light-induced photolysis of nano HNS was studied by different spectroscopic methods. Nano HNS was found to be sensitive to UV-Vis lights at 365 and 470 nm. The photolysis route of nano HNS was mostly the same as its bulk counterpart, which was likely to be the combination of the isomerization of -NO2 to -ONO and the breaking of the C-N bond in Ar-NO2 (Ar = Aromatic ring). In addition, the possible mechanism of UV-Vis-induced visible color change was explored for the first time.