A fast, high-yield preparation of vicinal dinitro compounds using HOF.CH3CN

HOF.CH3CN, a very efficient oxygen-transfer agent, was reacted with various aliphatic and aromatic vicinal diamino compounds. The products were the rare, vicinal dinitro derivatives formed in excellent yields and short reaction times. This is in contrast to other oxygen-transfer agents which tend to break the central C-C bond of the diamino precursor. This reaction was also used for making dinitro compounds with all four oxygens, being the [18]O isotope.