Controlled synthesis of electron deficient nitro-1H-benzotriazoles

Nitro-1H-benzotriazole derivatives containing electron withdrawing substitutents in the ortho and meta positions to the nitro group have been synthesized by the simple and direct nitration of the parent 1H-benzotriazoles. The route of nitration and assignment of isomerism in these compounds is proposed based upon high level density functional theory (DFT) calculations.