Nano energetic materials have attracted great attention recently owing to their potential applications for both civilian and military purposes. By introducing silicon microchannel plates (Si-MCPs) three-dimensional (3D)-ordered structures, monocrystalline MnMoO4 with a size of tens of micrometres and polycrystalline MnMoO4 nanoflakes are produced on the surface and sidewall of nickel-coated Si-MCP, respectively. The MnMoO4 crystals ripen controllably forming polycrystalline nanoflakes with lattice fringes of 0.542 nm corresponding to the [Formula: see text] plane on the sidewall. And these MnMoO4 nanoflakes show apparent thermite performance which is rarely reported and represents MnMoO4 becoming a new category of energetic materials after nanocrystallization. Additionally, the nanocrystallization mechanism is interpreted by ionic diffusion caused by 3D structure. The results indicate that the Si-MCP is a promising substrate for nanocrystallization of energetic materials such as MnMoO4.
Keywords: MnMoO4; Si-MCP; energetic materials; nanoflakes; thermite.