Engineering High-Performance Hypergolic Propellant by Synergistic Contribution of Metal-Organic Framework Shell and Aluminum Core

Hypergolicity is a highly desired characteristic for hybrid rocket engine-based fuels because it eliminates the need for a separate ignition system. Introducing hypergolic additives into conventional fuels through physical mixing is a feasible approach, but achieving highly reliable hypergolic ignition and energy release remains a major challenge. Here, the construction of core-shell Al@metal organic framework (MOF) heterostructures is reported as high-performance solid hypergolic propellants. Upon contact with the liquid oxidizer the uniformly distributed hypergolic MOF (Ag-MOF) shell can induce the ignition of hypergolic-inert fuel Al, resulting in Al combustion. Such a synthetic strategy is demonstrated to be favorable in hotspot generation and heat transfer relative to a simple physical mixture of Al/Ag-MOF, thus producing shorter ignition delay times and more efficient combustion. Thermal reactivity study indicated that the functionalization of the Ag-MOF shell changes the energy release process of the inner Al, which is accompanied by a thermite reaction. The synergistic effect of implantation of hypergolic MOF and high energy Al contributes to high specific impulses of 230-270 s over a wide range of oxidizer-to-fuel ratios. A core-shell Al@MOF heterostructure is constructed as solid hypergolic propellant. The hypergolic Ag-MOF shell initiates the ignition upon contact with specific oxidizer, and the efficient shell-to-core heat transfer induces the reliable combustion of Al. Importantly, the co-contribution of energetic Ag-MOF and metal fuel results in significantly improved Isp over a wide range of O/F ratios.image