Ignition in Al-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites

We demonstrated a novel approach to fabricate a self-assembled array of energetic nanocomposites which undergo an exothermic reaction at high temperature. The nanocomposites are a mixture of fuel and oxidizer materials where one of the components (fuel or oxidizer) is in the form of an array of nanowires embedded in the other component (oxidizer or fuel) which is in the form of a thin film. Our fabrication approach allows for a very high packing density of the nanocomposites, precise control of oxidizer-fuel sizes at the nanoscale level and intimate mechanical contact between oxidizer and fuel. Such nanocomposites will have important applications in novel energetic devices, for example MEMS-based fuzes, nanoexplosives and in applications requiring light-weight, single-use energy sources.