A metal-free deoxygenation and reductive disilylation of nitroarenes was achieved using N,N'-bis(trimethylsilyl)-4,4'-bipyridinylidene (1) under mild and neutral reaction conditions, and a broad functional group tolerance was possible in this reaction. Mono-deoxygenation, giving a synthetically valuable N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)phenylhydroxylamine (7 a) as a readily available and safe phenylnitrene source from nitrobenzene, and double-deoxygenation, giving N,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)anilines 8, were easily controlled by varying the amounts of 1 and reaction temperature as well as adding dibenzothiophene (DBTP). Reaction of 2-arylnitrobenzenes with 1 resulted in the formation of the corresponding carbazoles 14 via in situ-generated phenylnitrene species derived by thermolysis of N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)phenylhydroxylamines 7, followed by their subsequent intramolecular C-H insertion. In addition, the intramolecular N-N coupling reaction proceeded in the reduction of 2,2'-dinitrobiphenyl derivatives by 1, giving the corresponding benzo[c]cinnolines.

Novel 1,4‐disubstituted cubane derivatives have been designed and selected ones have been successfully synthesized and characterized by various analytical and spectroscopic techniques, including single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. A detailed computational study at B3LYP/6‐311++G(d,p) level of theory revealed that all newly designed 1,4‐disubstituted cubane derivatives possess higher densities, higher density‐specific impulse and superior ballistic properties when compared to conventional fuels, for example, RP‐1. These compounds also exhibit acceptable kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities which were evaluated in terms of their HOMO‐LUMO energy gap and bond dissociation energies, respectively, and are superior to TEX and many other compounds containing explosophoric groups. These results provide novel insights into the possible application of cubane‐based energetic materials.

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