Strong modulation of the biradical character of acenes with dopant positions is demonstrated by tracking the unpaired electron densities.

The abstraction and addition reactions of H with trans-N₂H₂ are studied by high-level ab initio methods and density functional theory. Rate constants were calculated for these two reactions by multistructural variational transition state theory with multidimensional tunneling and including torsional anharmonicity by the multistructural torsion method. Rate constants of the abstraction reaction show large variational effects, that is, the variational transition state yields a smaller rate constant than the conventional transition state; this results from the fact that the variational transition state has a higher zero-point vibrational energy than the conventional transition state. The addition reaction has a classical barrier height that is about 1 kcal/mol lower than that of the abstraction reaction, but the addition rates are lower than the abstraction rates due to vibrational adiabaticity. The calculated branching ratio of abstraction to addition is 3.5 at 200 K and decreases to 1.2 at 1000 K and 1.06 at 1500 K.

Paraffin stands out as a promising solid combustible grain for the classical hybrid propulsion rocket motor. However, its low mechanical properties increase the risk of grain cracking and rupturing...