Computational study of the catalytic effect of platinum on the decomposition of DNT

• The catalytic decomposition of dinitrotoluene (DNT; 3-4-DNT), a by-product of the explosive trinitrotoluene (trotyl), on a platinum surface is investigated computationally. Reaction paths have been computed for a DNT molecule interacting with a Pt-cluster under varying temperatures using quantum-chemical density functional theory. Two possible initiation steps where DNT split either into nitro-tolyl and NO2, or in nitro-tolyl-oxidanyl and NO, are considered. The energy barrier for the catalytic process is found to decrease significantly for the Pt catalyzed reaction compared with the uncatalyzed reaction.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

density functional theory

sensors

catalysis

reaction path

half life

TECHNOLOGY

TEKNIKVETENSKAP

half life

reaction path

catalysis

sensors

density functional theory

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)