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Recent avenues of research have improved our understanding of the chemistry of nitrocellulose. With this in mind, a brief review of the chemistry of nitrocellulose is presented. While not comprehensive in nature, this review does point out some of the underlying characteristics of nitrocellulose which are of interest to the propellant community.

Ni(L)2 complexes, where L equals 2-(trifluoroacetyl) heteroaromatic anion have been prepared and characterized. 2-(Trifluoroacetyl)-picolinato anion (TFAP) gives a Ni(L)2 complex that appears to be a dimeric 5-coordinate square pyramid. The complexes Ni(4MeTFAP)2 and Ni(5MeTFAP)2 are square planar complexes while Ni(6Me-TFAP)2 is tetrahedral due to steric interference. In non-donor solvents, the complexes Ni(TFAP)2, Ni(4MeTFAP)2 and Ni(5MeTFAP)2 exhibit properties that indicate a polymer/monomer equilibrium. Ni(L)2 complexes undergo a unique gas-solid dissociation reaction with H2O and NH3 to give coordinated NH2 − and OH−.

Copper(II) complexes of a related series of potentially pentadentate ligands derived from substituted salicylaldehydes and 2,2′-(aminoethyl)-sulfide, 3,3′-bis(aminopropyl)sulfide, 3,3′-bis(aminopropyl)ether and diethylenetriamine have been prepared. Elemental analysis, mass, infrared and visible spectra and magnetic susceptibility measurements have been employed in order to characterize these new compounds. The materials appear to be monomeric in the solid state exhibiting no abnormal magnetic properties at room temperature. In comparison with the visible spectra of a series of known copper(II) complexes of tetradentate ligands, the structure of these complexes is postulated to be essentially square planar. However, the possibility of weak coordination by the middle donor in some of the pentadentate ligands can not be ruled out.