1,1'-Azobis(1,2,3,4-tetrazole) is a highly explosive and unstable chemical compound discovered by Thomas M. Klapötke and Davin G. Piercey at LMU Munich which contains a long continuous chain of nitrogen atoms, with an unbroken chain of ten nitrogen atoms contained within two 1,2,3,4-tetrazole rings and an azo bridge. It is related to 1,1'-azobis-1,2,3-triazole which has a similar structure but with an 8 nitrogen atom chain through the replacement of two N atoms with C-H groups. It is stable only up to 80 ðC and is reported to be one of the most sensitive explosives in existence.
The ten-nitrogen chain was the record for the longest continuous chain of nitrogen atoms in a chemical compound until Chinese researchers prepared a compound with an 11-nitrogen chain. It is too sensitive to be used as a practical explosive and is more sensitive than 1-diazidocarbamoyl-5-azidotetrazole which is often erroneously reported as the most sensitive explosive. CisâÂÂtrans isomerization occurs under UV light exposure.
It is synthesized from N-aminotetrazole via an azo-coupling reaction using sodium dichloroisocyanurate in acetic acid.