Construction of nanoflowers combustion catalyst NiO@g-C3N4 for improving thermal decomposition performance of AP

Thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) typically requires high temperatures and activation energy, but the introduction of combustion catalysts will improve its thermal decomposition performance. Therefore, it is crucial to rationally design combustion catalysts for enhancing the thermal decomposition performance of AP. Herein, 3D NiO nanoflowers@2D graphite-phase carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) nanosheets (NiO@x%CN, x = 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) composite catalysts were constructed by solvothermal and calcination methods, and characterized by a series of analyses. NiO@5%CN displayed the best ability to catalyze the thermal decomposition of AP, which reduced the high decomposition temperature of AP by 113.8 °C and the activation energy by 21.67 kJ mol −1 . The combustion rate of NiO@5%CN-CSP has increased by 118 % compared to that of composite solid propellants. This work provides a new insight for the design of NiO-based high-efficiency combustion catalysts.