An N-functionalized strategy, including N-amination and N-trinitroethylamination, was utilized for the synthesis of nitroimidazole-based energetic materials, giving rise to a new family of highly insensitive Naminonitroimidazoles and oxygen-rich N-trinitroethylaminonitroimidazoles with good to excellent properties. These new energetic materials were fully characterized by IR, 1 H, and 13 C NMR, elemental analysis, and some high performance compounds were further confirmed by 15 N NMR (4a, 4d, 6a, 6b, and 6d), as well as single crystal X-ray diffraction (6a and 6b). N-Functionalization of nitroimidazoles not only gives rise to the N-aminonitroimidazoles as impact insensitive and thermally stable materials (IS > 40 J; T d : 144-308 C), but also provides a series of N-trinitroethylaminoimidazoles, which have favorable densities (1.75-1.84 g cm À3 ), good detonation properties (P: 27.6-35.9 GPa; v D : 7815-8659 m s À1 ), and moderate thermal stabilities (136-172 C). These properties are better than some known energetic compounds, such as TNT (P: 19.5 GPa; v D : 6881 m s À1 ) and TATB (P: 31.2 GPa; v D : 8114 m s À1 ), and are comparable to RDX (P: 35.0 GPa; v D : 8762 m s À1 ). Recently the N-functionalized chemistry of ve-membered azoles has made great progress and many functional groups, such as NO 2 , 14 NH 2 , 15 CH 3 , 16 and CH 2 ONO 2 , 17 have been employed to develop new energetic materials with comprehensively good properties. While NO 2 and CH 2 ONO 2 could improve performance with decreased stabilities, methyl-functionalized compounds are more stable but display poorer performances. Among the N-functionalized methodologies above, N-amination has become one of the most attractive strategies for preparing new energetic materials. The amino products with the additional N-N bond(s) have higher heats of formation, as well as improved detonation properties. Moreover, the amino group can undergo further functionalization, such as nitration, 18 diazotization, 4 or trinitroethylation 15a to provide versatile energetic materials. In general, ve-membered azoles or six-membered azines, with high heats of formation,