High-energy boron-based fuel aluminum-diboride (AlB₂) has attracted much attention in the field of solid propellants. However, the low reactivity of AlB₂ hindered its further application. In this study, highly reactive AlB₂@hydroxyl-terminated perfluoropolyether alcohol (AlB₂@HTPFA) composites with a core–shell structure were prepared by coating AlB₂ with functionalized fluoropolymers by using a facile one-step in situ polymerization method. AlB₂@HTPFA composites with varying polymer contents (0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%) were obtained. The in situ polymerization strategy enables precise control over the polymer coating thickness and interfacial interactions, which is critical for optimizing the reactivity and thermal stability of composites. The morphology and structure were characterized, and the microcore–shell structure of AlB₂@HTPFA was obtained. Compared with raw AlB₂, the combustion efficiency of coated fuel increased by 4.1%, 5.6%, and 7.5%, respectively, with varying polymer contents. Meanwhile, the reactivity of AlB₂@HTPFA (5 wt%) was 0.65 MPa/s, which is ~1.5 times that of AlB₂. Additionally, the ignition and combustion characteristics of AlB₂@HTPFA were investigated by laser ignition experiments with potassium perchlorate (KP) as an oxidant. The results revealed that AlB₂@HTPFA/KP composites showed a greatly reduced combustion duration compared to uncoated AlB₂. The ignition and combustion enhancement mechanism of AlB₂@HTPFA was proposed. During the ignition process, the existence of HTPFA can result in a pre-ignition reaction, thus raising its reaction activity. This work provided a promising candidate for high-energy fuel that can be used in energetic materials.

Phenolic compounds and transition metals exist in wastewater having a large number of emissions due to the discharge of polluted wastewater from the explosive industry. And these two substances are important factors that affect the generation of persistent free radicals (PFR). However, the generation of more toxic and harmful PFR is unclear in wastewater from the explosive industry. In this study, the dissociation reaction of phenol on transition metal oxides ZnO to form PFR has been explored by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The dissociation of phenol on the ZnO surface is an exothermic and barrierless reaction process, which indicates that PFR can be formed in the wastewater of the explosive industry. Thus, more attention should be paid to the toxicity of PFR in the wastewater produced by the explosive industry.