We give an overview of explosive burning and the role which neutron and/or
proton separation energies play. We focus then on the rapid neutron capture
process (r-process) which encounters unstable nuclei with neutron separati
on energies in the range 1-4 MeV, and the rapid proton capture process (rp-
process), operating close to the proton drip-line. The site of the rp-proce
ss is related to hydrogen accreting neutron stars in binary stellar systems
. Explosive II-burning produces nuclei as heavy as A=100, powering events o
bservable as X-ray bursts. The r-process abundances witness nuclear structu
re far from beta-stability as well as the conditions in the appropriate ast
rophysical environment. But there is a remaining lack in the full understan
ding of its astrophysical origin, ranging from the high entropy neutrino wi
nd, blown from hot neutron star surfaces after a supernova explosion, to lo
w entropy "cold decompresssion" of neutron star matter ejected in mergers o
f binary neutron star systems.