Four bis(ethylenediamine)metal(II) nitrate (BEMN) complexes, i.e. [M(EDA)(2)](NO3)(2), where M = Cu, Co, Ni and Zn, have been prepared and characterized. Thermolysis of these complexes induced by heat and drop-weight impact has been investigated by TG-DTG, DTA, explosion delay (DE), explosion temperature (T-E) and impact sensitivity measurement. The kinetics of early thermolysis reaction prior to fast decomposition have been evaluated. Contracting area (CA, n = 2) and contracting cube (CC, n = 3) equations were found to give the best fits in isothermal TG data among all tested nine mechanism-based kinetic models. The values of activation energy (E-a), T-E, D-E and activation energy for explosion (E*) have been found to be quite lower for the copper complex as compared to cobalt, nickel and zinc complexes. A mechanism of thermolysis has also been proposed. All these complexes were found to be insensitive towards impact of 2 kg weight up to the height of 110 cm. These complexes were used as energetic burning rate modifiers in the combustion of hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB)-ammonium perchlorate (AP) composite solid propellants. A two-fold increase in burning rate was observed with copper and cobalt complexes at low concentration (2% by wt.). The in situ freshly formed metal oxides with large number of active sites in their crystallites seem to be better additives for combustion of propellants.