Excitation instead of heat and impact: A photocatalytic viewpoint on the laser ignition of energetic materials

Abstract. This work presents results demonstrating the efficiency of composite semiconductor nanomaterials for tuning the sensitivity of energetic materials to laser radiation. The synthesized nanostructures of zinc oxide doped with narrow-gap semiconductors or silver nanoparticles can act as a highly efficient PETN photosensitizer to laser radiation. The studied materials make PETN sensitive to both visible and infrared light, as well as, make it possible to use visible laser diodes with a power of about 10 W and IR industrial lasers with a power of about 1 kW as a reliable initiation instrument. Based on the obtained results, the general principles of application of semiconductor photocatalysts for laser initiation of energetic materials.