Yeah until i read up on explosives (and other lively substances, hello Derek Lowe) my impression of nitrogen was that of it being the most benign of atmospheric chemicals.
As i have come to understand it, nitrogen gets real frisky when you pair it up with others that can't fill all its electron bonds. This then leaves it a hair breath away from going back to pure nitrogen bonds, releasing a whole lot of pent up energy in the process.
Yes, this is why nitrogen is a component of most explosives. While it will form compounds it forms unstable compounds that easily come apart. And that separation of the chemical bonds with nitrogen is what provides the immense energy release that makes for an explosion.
As i have come to understand it, nitrogen gets real frisky when you pair it up with others that can't fill all its electron bonds. This then leaves it a hair breath away from going back to pure nitrogen bonds, releasing a whole lot of pent up energy in the process.